London: Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott is so impressed with Kevin Pietersen's captaincy that he feels England can now challenge Australia in Ashes series next year.

"The great charm of sport is that everything can change so quickly. Earlier in the summer, people were asking me how England could beat the Aussies in 2009 and I answered 'with great difficulty'," Boycott wrote in his column in Daily Telegraph.

"The first step to recovery was appointing Kevin Pietersen as captain. I advocated that should have happened a year ago, when they gave the one-day job to Paul Collingwood instead. My reason was that Pietersen is self-confident and self-assured, his own man with his own views and his own way of doing things," he said.

Boycott also felt that the return to form of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison has also boosted England's chances against Australia.

"With Flintoff and Harmison approaching the form they showed in 2005, England are sure to be a challenging proposition in any form of the game. If the Champions Trophy was being played next week, I would have had a few bob on them winning that."

"If England can keep everyone fit, they might be able to give the Australians a real run for their money next summer," Boycott said.