England's ability to reclaim the Ashes next summer will be given a trial by pace over the next few weeks in four hard Tests against South Africa.

Ever since they were humiliated in Australia two winters ago with a 5-0 series whitewash, England have been building up to the return series on home soil next summer and the chance to avenge such a comprehensive defeat.

They have completed routine home series wins over West Indies and New Zealand and suffered disappointing setbacks with defeats at home to India and in Sri Lanka in the time since that Australian trip.

Throughout that period they have let their thoughts drift to the next Ashes series and whether England are capable of beating an Australian side now shorn of great talents like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.

But the time for planning and anticipation is over with England facing the first of two major Test challenges, starting with a home series against South Africa followed by a series in India this winter against two sides ranked fourth and second in the ICC world rankings.

Victory in both those series and England would feel they had an unstoppable momentum heading into a Test series in the Caribbean early next year and the Ashes series which follows next summer.

But if they fail those two challenges then England's Ashes expectations may have to be revised while several members of their current Test line-up could face uncertain futures at the top level.

As it is England do not look like a side improving steadily into a unit capable of beating the best side in the world as they did in 2003 and 2004 in the build-up to their stunning 2005 Ashes series victory.

They have a batting line-up which is stuttering and has not posted a first innings total in excess of 400 for 12 successive Tests while the wicketkeeping position is still not resolved five years after Alec Stewart's retirement.

In the last two years, only two members of their highly-regarded top six - Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen - average over 40, regarded as the minimum requirement for a top class batsman.

Given those batting failings, it is little wonder England struggled to beat an unfancied New Zealand side away this winter and it took them to the final Test at Trent Bridge to really dominate in the home series.

It is form they cannot even contemplate repeating if they are to successfully overcome South Africa's formidable pace attack, although there are theories that England's batsmen perform best when the ball comes onto the bat.

There is also the major dilemma they have over all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, whose bowling has been sorely missed over the last year even if his performances with the bat had lacked consistency in the last year of his Test career.

England have already stated they will not rush the 30-year-old Lancastrian back into action as he begins his return to full fitness from a side strain, but there can be no question that he will be called upon at some stage against South Africa.

"I think everyone wants to see Andrew Flintoff back in an England shirt," admitted former England captain Graham Gooch.

"He's had an horrendous run of injuries with his ankle but hopefully he's over those problems because he's a real talisman as a cricketer for us.

"Some aspects of his game may have declined a little bit since 2005, his batting is not as consistent as he would have liked but his bowling has been on fire.

"He's a bowler that intimidates batsmen, he's a bowler that not only gets wickets for his team and can win a match but also assists the other bowlers in the side because he would be looked at as the strike bowler for England."

Gooch added: "In 2005 he was (Michael) Vaughan's go-to bowler, every time he needed a wicket or needed to keep it tight he would turn to him.

"It was a bit like down the years Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting turning to Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. We need him back in that side and we need to mould the side around him."

With such a challenging series of Tests ahead of them, home and away, over the next six months, England will be hoping he can return sooner rather than later.

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