Flintoff predicts England will dominate cricket

England great Andrew Flintoff believes the current Test side are better than the one he played in, and has tipped them to "dominate for a long time".

The retired all-rounder was the talisman of the 2005 Ashes-winning side and also played a role in the regaining of the urn in 2009.

But he is convinced the depth of Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss' current squad means they can do what his side failed to do - dominate world cricket.

If England win next week's third Test with India and take a 3-0 series lead they will hit the top of the Test rankings for the first time and, speaking to several national newspapers, Flintoff said: "This is a better side than the one we had in 2005. The strength of it and the depth is incredible. In 2005 we had 11 players who had a memorable few weeks and played at their best for a period, but we never played together again.

"This side have a squad and they are so strong in and out of the side. We've seen them replace players without blinking and it has made no difference to the performance and that has been happening for a while now.

"England are the best team in the world already. Not just in ranking, but also in strength. They have got everything. I don't see why they can't dominate for a long time. They have strong enough players to do it. Australia and West Indies did it and England should be able to do it for the next few years.

"There are no weak links They are playing with a confidence and a swagger that goes with being the best. They've got every department covered and if someone gets injured then another one comes in and does a job."

Source: Reuters