RYAN Sidebottom is backing England to have a stellar 2019.

The former Yorkshire and England swing bowler reckons that his country will win back the Ashes next August and September, while the Surrey bowling coach also believes that England will triumph in the ICC World Cup that precedes the England v Australia tests.

Speaking at the Aire-Wharfe League’s annual dinner at the Village Hotel in Headingley, Sidebottom said: “England will win the Ashes comfortably and they will win the World Cup.

“They bat all the way down and they have everything covered in their varied bowling attack – including a leg-spinner.”

He is less certain, however, of what kind of season Yorkshire will have, admitting: “I don’t know but they have some good young players.”

Sidebottom is even more perplexed as to how he will fare on ITV’s Dancing On Ice, which will be screened in the new year.

“I want to get through, but I don’t know my partner yet,” admitted the 40-year-old, who also revealed that he had been on stand-by for I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

“I had an audition the other Monday for Dancing On Ice and went for it, wearing a tutu and a sweatband (and an ice ice baby T-shirt).

“I had to hold on to the side at the start but I am improving.”

Sidebottom won the 2014 and 2015 County Championship titles with Yorkshire, having also won with them in 2001 and with Nottinghamshire in 2005, and said of the 2016 season: “We could have made it three in a row.”

He added: “I moved to Nottinghamshire as I was not enjoying my cricket with Yorkshire and was not going to improve.

“I was not playing regularly for Yorkshire and needed to move away, and it was the best decision that I ever made.

“At Notts, I learnt my trade and was playing in all formats. I was bowling pies before and didn’t really have a clue but learnt under (New Zealand skipper) Stephen Fleming and Mark Ealham.

“However, it was a no-brainer to come back to Yorkshire, and bowling for England in a Test against Tendulkar and Dravid and conceding 20 runs in 19 overs was the best I have ever bowled, and winning the World T20 with England, with our no-fear approach, was the pinnacle of my career.”

Sidebottom is also backing Surrey skipper Rory Burns to make a success of his elevation to the England Test squad, saying: “Rory is a seriously modern cricketer who can smite the ball out of the park in T20, but you don’t score 1,000 runs a season for five successive years in Division One without being a very good player.

“I don’t know who his opening partner will be for England but they need the variety in their bowling attack that Sam Curran and Moeen Ali bring.”