Ian Botham's big Ashes call a hollow taunt Ian Botham says England could win all 10 of the upcoming Tests between against Australia. GOOD on Ian Botham for being brave enough to tip England to win the back-to-back Ashes series 10-0. But if he feels like a bet, he can get on with me at 100-1. After several decades of relentless Ashes torment, "Beefy" Botham is off the leash again and his colourful Ashes taunts are flying across the globe like an uncoiled spring. But 10-0? It won't happen. Deep down, Botham would know that but he's comforted in the knowledge that making grim predictions about a weak Australian cricket team at the moment is like saying there's going to be tension in the Middle East. You know even if you don't hit the bullseye, your theme's somewhere near the money. Confident: Botham bets on an Ashes whitewash I am not deluded enough to declare Australia favourites for either series, but there is a better chance than people think Australia will be cradling the famous urn this time next year. If Australia does nothing more than field a team including outstanding fast bowlers James Pattinson and Ryan Harris it will be somewhere near competitive, even if our batting depth is eggshell fragile. There is no doubt Australia will cop great early pain in England and probably lose that series. But this is a uniquely long and brutal journey in which the team that swoops late will get the greatest prize of being Ashes holders for three years. Come the last of the 10 Tests, in Sydney in January, the team with the Ashes might not be the one that started with the best XI in the first Test in England but had the greater fast bowling depth. Fast bowlers currently ranked seventh or eighth in the pecking order could be deciding the punchline to this novel showdown. This is the only area where Australia shades England, yet it may prove the gamebreaker. At the moment, England's garden looks rosier than a choirboy's cheeks. Expect them to make a rousing start in the first series next month and if Michael Clarke's back is not right, Australia are next to no chance of winning either series. But if Clarke stands up and Australia can bat well enough to wear down their pace attack, England will have some issues as soon as one of their fast bowlers goes "pop." There is no questioning the quality of their top three - Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steve Finn. But behind that they are vulnerable, with Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions serviceable but hardly world beating. Australia has Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Coulter-Nile not even able to make the Ashes tour and behind them there could even be an emerging diamond, such as Indian skyscraper Gurinder Sandhu.