Eng can't handle expectations: Warne

Taking a pot shot at England's recent poor form, Warne said that the Poms were not good enough to handle their new found status.

Taking a pot shot at England's recent poor form, Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne said Michael Vaughan's side is not used to handling the high expectations which have arisen from their last summer's Ashes triumph and would find it hard to defend the famous urn later this year.

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"You look at the form of them since the Ashes series, they have won one Test match," Warne told the Herald Sun.

Explaining it further, Warne pointed out that the defending champions would be favourites for the November series, a position they are not used to be in.

"For the first time it will be us chasing England and it is a different mindset. England will have to come to Australia and try to retain them," Warne said.

"It is a different position for them to be in and I am not sure they will like it. I think they like the position that they are the underdog and if they win, they win," he added.

Warne asserted that Australia had learnt the lessons from their defeat in 2005 and had worked out the weak areas, while, according to him, England gave the best they could last summer and are not capable of improving on it.

"We know our conditions and most teams are tough to beat at home. I thought England played to the best of their ability last year. I don't think a lot of them can play much better," Warne said.

Despite being critical of their form, Warne said England were the second best side in the world right now but added that the Poms were not good enough to handle their new found status.

"They are basically now the second best side in the world and it takes a bit of time to adapt. It is different when you approach a series and suddenly your own expectations and everyone else's expectations are that you are going to win," Warne explained.

"That puts a little bit of pressure on -- when you are not used to it as well," he quipped.