Image courtesy of: The Guardian

Pietersen will be England’s X factor throughout the Ashes

Former Australia spin king Shane Warne believes England will not stand a chance to win this year’s back-to-back Ashes series if star batsman Kevin Pietersen is ruled out due to his persisting knee injury.

However, it is reported that Pietersen is making steady progress and will be fit in time for the start of the Ashes, which begins on July 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

“If Kevin Pietersen’s not available for the Ashes I think Australia will win,” Warne told Sky Sports News. “I think he’s that big a player for the England team. “Everyone feeds off him. He’s such a destructive player, he can come out and get some low scores, but he’s such a destructive player.

“If Kevin Pietersen plays then I still think Australia can come out and surprise England but I think if he’s unavailable for the Ashes, which we don’t want, we want him to be playing, everybody does as a cricket lover, if he’s not playing for England then Australia will win.”

Even if South African-born Pietersen is fit and healthy in time for the Ashes, Warne still feels Australia have a squad that are capable of putting up a decent fight.

“England are definitely favourites,” Warne admitted. “They’ve been playing some excellent cricket, and they’re well led by Alastair Cook.

“But I really believe Australia have a squad, if they pick the right players and they perform then, I think the people who are out there writing them off could really be surprised.”