Former South Africa coach Bob Woolmer believes England will win this winter's Test series between the two sides.

Woolmer, now in charge of Pakistan, says the South African seam attack is a "shadow of its former self.

He also thinks the captaincy of Graeme Smith is another area of potential weakness which England could exploit.

"Even sections of the local media who supported him arc now questioning him," said Woolmer, who played Test cricket for England before taking up coaching.

England skipper Michael Vaughan, by contrast, is a "firm, popular and clever leader", according to Woolmer.

"He has die same grit displayed by other Yorkshire captains: a combination of Len Hutton, Ray Illingworth and Brian Close," he told Wisden Cricketer magazine. But it is the performance of the two seam attacks which Woolmer thinks will decide the series.

He said England's Steve Harmison, who has taken 61 wickets in 11 Tests so far in 2004, will pose a "genuine threat" to the home side.

And he expects Andrew Flintoffs duel with South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis to "determine at least oneTest of the five".

Assessing South Africa's pace bowlers, he added: "Shuan Pollock is wiser but slower and Makhaya Ntini is as willing as ever, but the rest are only just better than ordinary."

England last won a Test series in South Africa in 1964-5 when Warwickshire's MJK Smith led them to a 1-0 triumph, with the other four matches ending in draws.

Their sole success came in the opening Test at Durban when Ken Barrington and Jim Parks hit centuries before spinners FredTltmus and David Allen bowled them to victory by an innings and 104 runs.