Ashes are returning to England suggest sceptical Aussie fans

In a poll led by a leading Australian newspaper which attracted over 6000 votes, 56% of the Australian population said that they believe England will win the Ashes.

In a startling admission by the Aussie faithful, the survey suggests that the confidence behind the Australian cricket team has all but disappeared, leading us to belive the 8/11 available for Australia to win the Ashes series is too short.

The Australian selectors are bearing the brunt of the fans backlash, with the fans blaming the selectors for Australia slipping to the fifth best Test team in world cricket.

The Test squad positions of Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North have also come under fire from the Aussie fans , with 85% of the voters believing that emerging star Steven Smith, 12/1 to be Australia’s leading series wicket-taker, deserves a chance.

Depite North averaging over 52 against England, 69% of the vote suggested the middle order batsman should be dropped.

But while some of the Test side have come in for stick 90% of the vote suggested the selectors are to blame, and 67% of the vote believe head coach Tim Nielsen, the man who was in charge when England won the 2009 Ashes, has to go.

While the poll suggests Australia are in turmoil, there’s good news for Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen.

They were singled out by the Aussie fans as the men to watch out for in the Ashes and Swann is the 1/1 favourite to be England’s leading wicket-taker, while Pietersen is 4/1 to be England’s leading runscorer.

Pietersen’s half century in the first warm-up game against Western Australia has suggested the South-African born batsman is hitting form at the right time.

But England haven’t won a series in Australian since the 1986/87 tour and while the poll suggests England are the favourites, the Ashes betting market believes they still have a lot of work to do to win the Test series.

England are 2/1 to win the Ashes series. See the full Ashes betting odds here.