England to regain the Ashes and restore some pride to a team that promises quite a bit but just doesn’t seem to deliver. Regrettably I think this could only be done with a new coach, and as the current incumbent doesn’t seem to be under any real pressure, I’m not sure how we are going to do it. The bloke has not taken us to a series win of any real merit since he’s been in charge.

Kevin Pietersen to be a real success in 2009, and score over 700 runs in the Ashes series and nab himself a big double ton along the way. He is the only real hope for that sort of score these days, and yet we burden him with the captaincy.

Alastair Cook to fulfill his promise and make a really big score. I said that never has a batsman gone a year without a test ton and still been an automatic choice, but Cook did that in 2008. He has temperament, he has class, he has ability, now he needs to go through with it. He’s got to show he’s more Strauss than Bell.

England to drop Ian Bell and find someone, anyone, else. Give Robert Key a go. Give Joe Denly a go. Give Owais Shah a go. Give Paul Horton a go. Give Scott Newman a go. Give Darren Maddy a go for chrissake. Anyone but this perennial failure and bottle job. Someone came out the other day that he’s learning the lessons of a young batsman. He’s played 45 f*cking test matches and he’s still in need of learning? No, we pick him for the West Indies….

A year of full fitness and pace for Simon Jones, and a fairytale return to the international scene. The unsung hero of 2005, the prospect the Aussies faced of having seen off the probing swing of Hoggard and the fire of Harmison only to have to cope with Flintoff and Jones made us a feared team. We now bring on the likes of James Anderson or Stuart Broad and they just don’t have it for me. Jones back in the England team is a pipe dream, but I am hoping.

Flintoff to recover some form with the bat and take at least one six wicket test haul. There were signs with the bat in India, and importantly Australia won’t be bringing a class spinner with them as Freddie definitely struggles starting up with them. In the bowling department, I want less “bowling like a Trojan” and more “ran through the top order”. I still say he isn’t a test number 6.

Surrey to go straight back up, although I doubt it. For a while now they’ve coasted along and not been able to hire the bowling forces to take 20 wickets on a consistent basis. Now they are back down in the division they destroyed three seasons ago but with a much weaker team. The pursuit of Harbajhan Singh may be great for the second half of the season, when most county cricket is going to be played, but it is imperative the Surrey team get off to a quick start. Kent are obvious favourites for Division 2, and Essex are going to be tough as well. I couldn’t care less about limited over shin-digs.

On the international front, India to get their wings clipped, which is unlikely in New Zealand in our spring, but hoepfully they’ll not win the World 20/20, although they have to be the strongest of favourites. India are due to host Sri Lanka in the Autumn, which should pose a decent test for them. However, they have warmed to England a bit after the players went back for the two test series and provided a fantastic match at Chennai (which although we lost, and I had the hump about it, you have to say was a great game and an advert for test cricket) which got the right result for the host country. I just abhor the IPL and all it stands for….

Australia to continue their regression back to the pack and the blood letting that will inevitably ensue. Already whispers and murmurs are being raised about Ponting’s captaincy – nothing he wasn’t doing when England were duffing them up in 2005 – and of the dearth of bowling supplies coming through. I still believe they could pick any six out of 10 batsmen – and I’m leaving Hayden out as they should be – and still put a team out that can score enough runs to put teams under pressure. Perm any six out of Jaques, Rogers, Katich, Ponting, M. Hussey, D. Hussey, M. Clarke, Voges, D. Thornely and Hodge. They also speak highly of some guy called Hughes at NSW. Their batting will be formidable, their bowling needs sharpening up.

Steve Harmison to actually care would be nice.

But most importantly, and selfishly, a lovely summer so that I can enjoy cricket and go to see games at grounds such as Guildford, Whitgift and Tunbridge Wells, and maybe a day trip to an outground in the country somewhere…