Robin Smith reckons England will fail to win a single Test against Australia.

The former Hampshire captain toured Australia in 1990-91, when Allan Border's side won 3-0, but he believes that the Aussies will go one better this time around.

"I'd like to be optimistic but it's going to be a huge ask for England to win even one Test," said the 39-year-old, before predicting a 4-0 series win for Australia.

"We might have a chance of drawing one or two Tests but if the weather holds fine the quality of the Australia side will, in the end, prove to be too powerful.

" I can't see us avoiding defeat in any of the games without a lot of rain and it's very difficult to see how we're going to bowl them out twice.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to say otherwise. England have come a long way under Nasser Hussain and we'll put up a fight, there's a lot of ability in the squad.

"But this Australia team is one of the best Test sides of all time and they're on a high at the moment. Australia always perform very well in their own conditions and there will be a lot of pressure for the England players to overcome.

"We might run them close in a couple of games but the Aussies are in the habit of winning. Whether we lose in the last ten overs or inside three days, the records will say that we have lost a Test match.

"With a fully fit side we'd obviously have a much better chance but Darren Gough's injury is a double disappointment because I don't think that Andy Caddick is the same bowler without Gough running in at the other end.

"Caddick is much more effective when he's in tandem with Gough but the rest of the bowlers are relatively inexperienced. Steve Harmison and Simon Jones are good prospects.

"They provide genuine pace, which is a great attribute, but on the bouncy, true wickets in Australia you need more than that."

Smith played 15 of his 62 Test against Australia, scoring 1074 runs at an average of 39.77. But he is worried that this England side will rely too much on Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan, the opening batsmen who are on their first Ashes tour.

"England are going to get runs on the board just to save Tests and in Vaughan and Trescothick have two of the best batsmen in the world at the moment.

"But, like Harmison and Jones, they are inexperienced at this level. Vaughan has been described as the new Michael Atherton but Michael was an awesome player, who the Australians really respected.

"To expect Vaughan to provide the backbone of England's batting is very, very tough. He's got the temperament to succeed but I wouldn't put my house on it.

"I'm not saying it's going to be impossible for us. I was very proud of the way the Europeans went about winning the Ryder Cup and it's going to take a similar effort from England.

"If we perform well you never know, but it's a massive ask."

Leicestershire have signed England one-day international Jeremy Snape from Gloucestershire.

The 29-year-old off-spinner and middle-order batsman has agreed a three-year deal with the Grace Road club.