By Peter May

Following England's Ashes success, much attention has already become focused on the 2006/7 rematch.

But it is this winter that offers the potential to build a legacy, the chance and the challenge to evolve into a team feared around the world.

Worse England teams than this one have won Down Under – the conditions become irrelevant if the opposition are poor enough – but few captains have completed a double over India and Pakistan as Michael Vaughan can this winter.

The holders of the urn do not want to begin their first defence in 18 years on the back of indifferent form, the focus is on the here and now and there can be no room for sentiment as England seek the players to continue their development.

For Vaughan's next trick? He will hope it is producing a spinner and preferably another seamer to help compete with the very best in the world.

It was the batting that proved weak this summer but Vaughan and Ian Bell will improve while there is no shortage of capable deputies: Robert Key, Ed Joyce, Alastair Cook and Owais Shah have all made plausible cases for inclusion while Paul Collingwood is still at the front of the queue.

Despite the bowling strength this summer, there are worries about the attack's suitability for a winter on the sub-continent where Simon Jones' ankle injury could prove just the beginning of a trend for wear-and-tear.

Andrew Flintoff, after all, has rarely been known for his resistance to niggling injuries and the future is a squad game with a battery of seamers to meet varying conditions and crises.

Test cricket is a 365-day business these days, Flintoff will barely have recovered from the open-top bus tour, let alone the Ashes itself, before flying off for the Johnnie Walker Super Series.

When he returns, it will be off to Pakistan to face a side invigorated by Izamam-ul-Haq's captaincy but still riddled with inconsistencies.

In their skipper plus Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana they boast batsmen of fantastic destructive power while of course the express pace of Shoaib Akhtar will capture many headlines.

Beyond those four there appears few to stand comparison with England's best players but the key may prove to be auxiliary bowlers.

The hosts will have the only top-class spinner, Danish Kaneira, and can also call upon Shahid Afridi while England have only Ashley Giles.

That is not a slight on the Warwickshire bowler but rather an indication that there is nobody standing by him and England are considering taking three spinners on tour.

Nasser Hussain's successful team five years ago harnessed Giles and, improbably, the misfiring Ian Salisbury.

They won despite Salisbury taking one for 193 in the series and will surely select a second slow bowler either at the expense of the ill-suited Matthew Hoggard or ill-fated Jones.

Who that man will be remains open to question but Shoaib, Mohammed Sami and co are not slow to point out that fast bowling can be a thankless task in their homeland.

Ashes or no Ashes, do you win a series against players of this talent with Graeme Swann or Gareth Batty somewhere near the front?

The severest examination comes after Christmas, a trip to India where England have not won in 21 years and, until recently, Australia had not done so in plenty longer.

There is a feeling that this might not be a bad time to play India, Sourav Ganguly is running out of lives as captain and Sachin Tendulkar's tennis elbow remains a curse on genius.

But even without Tendulkar the home team will have two Super Series team-mates of Flintoff in their top five (Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid) plus another (VVS Laxman) who can't have been too far away.

The bowling department is not as strong – when is it ever in India? – but Anil Kumble can still wreak havoc and England might still be looking for the King of Spain's heir.

It is dangerous that England are expected to win in Pakistan, a very difficult proposition for a team lacking experience in - and aptitude for - the unique conditions.

Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Flintoff all look well equipped for runs while Jones will go well if fit.

If Marcus Trescothick can overcome his touring demons then his skill to spin will be invaluable and Vaughan and Bell can prosper in an assured batting line-up.

But Hoggard and Steve Harmison will each be fearing a long winter, the former because he will be a sitting duck in the conditions and the latter because he considers Middlesbrough a touch too far from South Shields.

It all adds up to long days in the field and it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least two draws in Pakistan, leaving England vulnerable to a morale-sapping series defeat from one match only.

The second leg of the winter will be far tougher but the games more open.

India had been the second best team in the world for some time before England's rise and their turf remains the final frontier for those from other continents.

England's batting should be confident, the spin attack more evolved and Jones fit again.

For the status England now boast, success in Pakistan is expected; for the status England now crave, success in India is required.

Having followed wins in West Indies and South Africa with success over Australia, it is this winter that England can become the best team in the world.

They're not there yet.