Since Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher took over the reigns, England have made small but steady steps of improvement - but this winter they will need to make giant leaps if they're going to warm the hearts back home. An Ashes tour, the VB series, and a World Cup - it doesn't get much tougher. So far in his time as captain, Hussain has passed some hard tests with increasing competence but he will face none tougher than the ones starting on Thursday, November 7. An Ashes tour always gets the pulse racing, with everyone from English experts to Australian ex-pats saying this is England's best chance of taking home the Ashes since 1986-87. Most would agree this England squad is better than the plucky losers of 1998-99 and the under-achievers of 2001, but five Tests against Australia, interspersed with the triangular VB series with Sri Lanka, will be tough going for any side, let alone one potentially missing their best fast bowler of the last ten years in Darren Gough, and their best batsman of the same period, Graham Thorpe.

However, there are some new kids emerging on the block, who the Australians would be wise not to write off as one-hit wonders. Fast bowler Simon Jones made his debut against India at Lord's this summer and showed why Rodney Marsh raved about him at the Academy, while other quickie Steve Harmison had his chance at Trent Bridge and showed a healthy knack of picking up wickets. Along with Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff, Alex Tudor and Andrew Caddick - who will be making his first Ashes tour at the age of 33 - England should find the bouncy Aussie tracks to their liking.

So whereas Gough's absence can be papered over, Thorpe's will be harder to deal with. He is England's most Australian cricketer, and averages nearly 46 against the Aussies. Just as importantly, he has earned their respect. Be it Robert Key, Ian Bell, or Mark Ramprakash, Thorpe's replacement needs to hold his hand up and be counted - as Nasser would say. Assuming one of those play, the top six otherwise looks reasonably settled with only Thorpe's replacement being a potential weak link.

Another weak link is the spin bowling department. Where Australia can pick from Shane Warne, a living legend of a legspinner and other leggie Stuart MacGill - 82 Test wickets at an average of 25 - England have the might of Ashley Giles and then probably one of the off-spinning duo of Robert Croft and Richard Dawson. Hardly enough to darken the Aussie jockstraps.

When picking out the Australian danger men, it's very tempting to list any XI they care to put out - but on the whole, it's the usual suspects. The Waugh twins may be near the end of the road, but we all know about Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer's opening partnerships, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn's dashing strokeplay, Adam Gilchrist's ability to undo all your good work and Warne's bamboozling leg breaks. But, from England's point of view, it will be won or lost on how successfully they play the opening duo of Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath. With 140 English scalps between them, it is imperative England don't let those two eat them for breakfast.

But for a little right relief during the Ashes series, Sri Lanka come to join Australia and England for the pyjama party that is the VB series. Starting on December 13 and finishing on January 27, the tournament comprises of eight matches each as well as three finals. Unsurprisingly, Australia start as favorites but England will fancy their chances of meeting them in the finals thanks to their two wins over Sri Lanka in this summer's NatWest series, along with their greater familiarity with the conditions.

However, all three teams will have the 2003 World Cup at the back of their minds. The five-week cricket festival, hosted by South Africa and Zimbabwe, starts on February 9. England are drawn in Group A - arguably the tougher of the two groups - with Australia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, the Netherlands and Namibia. With the top three going through to the next stage - known as the Super Sixes - and with Australia and Pakistan favorites for the top two spaces, England are likely to be scrapping for the vital third spot with India and Zimbabwe, their first opponents on February 13.

England's last two World Cup campaigns have been embarrassing disasters - none more so than their gormless failure as the host nation to qualify for the Super Sixes in 1999. But things are on the up with the emergence of some key allrounders: the big-hitting Andrew Flintoff, the industrious Paul Collingwood and the re-born Ronnie Irani. England can count on the specialist batsmen and bowlers to do a job, but it's these middle men who need to perform.

If England do make it through to the Super Sixes, they are then likely to face the new challenge of hosts South Africa, previous semi-finalists New Zealand and either Sri Lanka or the West Indies. In other words they will have to have their best one-day suits on to make it to the semi-finals, let alone the final in Johannesburg on March 23.

So, what an exciting five months England have ahead of them. Maybe in that stretch Nasser will lift the Ashes on the Sydney pavilion, the VB Trophy at the Adelaide Oval and then the World Cup at the Wanderers. Pigs might fly? Well, to be honest, I think most England fans would settle for the first one.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd