To any cynics who thought I was spinning a web of deception to rock up in whites for the Ashes, I hope that I’ve finally put your suspicions to rest. Rolling my arm over in a suit from the commentary box would be a pretty hard ask. And that’s where I am going to be this summer: high behind the bowler’s arm giving an Australian take on the series as part of the Sky Sports team. And, of course, writing my exclusive columns for The Times.

Looking ahead with Sky has been really exciting. I was contracted to Channel 9 in Australia from 1993-2005 and did a few bits in the box for them when I was injured. Then, over our summer back home just gone, I spent a fair bit of time again working alongside the likes of Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell and picking up a few more skills.

With Sky, I’m aiming to add something to the great team there already in areas such as spin and tactics. Maybe I’ll be able to throw in one or two different ideas from left field. I see the role as trying to explain what the guys on the field are thinking as well as chipping in with my own thoughts. And if the Aussies go great guns? I think the phrase is “no worries”.

Well, just turn it around. How would I survive up there alongside Ian Botham, David Gower, Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton if things go belly up? Copping an earful from “Beefy” if we’re under the pump out in the middle . . . I reckon I’d be counting down every second to the end of my stint on air.

I just think we’re looking at a great series. And the fact that England and Australia start Test matches today brings a perfect chance to look at where they are just over four months before we start in Cardiff. There are one or two issues on both sides, but Australia will probably be a little happier at the moment.

The big question is how to take 20 wickets. If England don’t have Andrew Flintoff, they could really struggle to achieve that. For Australia, if Brett Lee is bowling fast and Stuart Clark is fit, with Mitchell Johnson in support, they have a winning combination. But if Lee is restricted to medium pace and Clark is still struggling, forcing Johnson to lead the attack, England may have an edge.

Australia have more depth with the bat. England rely on Andrew Strauss for a good start and Kevin Pietersen in the middle. If Pietersen does not get runs, the rest of the batsmen feel the pressure. The impact he has on bowlers and captains with his scoring rate and hitting into unusual positions does not always get picked up. Other batsmen take confidence from him. In the Australia team, the load is more evenly spread. Bowlers could knock over Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting early, but still have to get through Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey. Brad Haddin has also established himself as a really good No 7 over the past few months. There are some true fighters in that line-up.

Both sides may be slightly down on confidence at the moment because they need to get back into the habit of winning. And it is a habit. Australia had opportunities in all three home Tests against South Africa, but lost too many of the critical moments and so lost the series. That came down to inexperience, but now, for the first time in years, they probably go into the return games as underdogs.

It disappoints me that there isn’t a wrist spinner in the side for the first Test in Johannesburg. Selectors must feel that the pitch will help the seamers. I can’t really comment as I haven’t seen the surface. It is certainly a different approach. From my experience, the South Africans don’t play the leggies too well. I can remember occasions where we picked two spinners against them.

At the moment I’m in England to promote my Sky Sports deals, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on how Phillip Hughes gets on at the age of 20. You know you’ve been out of the game for a while when a lad gets called up you’ve never played against. A young kid on debut always energises the side and he has a great reputation as somebody who is solid, aggressive and a bit unorthodox. He’s also a left-hander. It will be a big help for him to open alongside Katich, his state captain at New South Wales.

England are finding West Indies a tough unit. I was surprised that Strauss didn’t enforce the follow-on in Antigua. That can be a difficult call, but having made it he needed to leave himself more overs to bowl out West Indies a second time. In those circumstances you know the batting side won’t take any risks and there didn’t seem a lot of point stretching the lead to 500. He will be a better captain for that experience.