Shane Warne predicts England’s rising star Joe Root will be “crucified” by Australia’s fast bowlers if the tourists persist with him at the top of the order.

Warne, no stranger to stinging critiques of England’s tactics on their way to a 3-0 Ashes victory last summer, has this time singled out Root - and, not for the first time, Alastair Cook’s “negative, boring” captaincy, which he believes could cost the tourists the urn this winter.

The great leg-spinner, a cornerstone of Australia’s Ashes dominance in the 1990s and 2000s, advocates a break for 22-year-old Root down at No 6.

Warne’s preference, in the young Yorkshireman’s place to open the batting alongside Cook, is his own former Hampshire team-mate Michael Carberry.

Root’s first series as an opener was only a qualified success, despite his second-innings 180 in England’s landslide Lord’s Test victory over Australia.

“If I was choosing the side I’d open the batting with Carberry and put Root down to No 6,” said Warne.

“Root played really well at Lord’s, and Australia had a bit of a shocker there.

“But I don’t think he’s an opener. I don’t think his technique is tight enough. He will be found out opening in Australia.”

Warne senses Australia have the pace to severely undermine Root on their own bouncier pitches.

“I think you could be crucifying him if you’re facing Ryan Harris or Mitchell Johnson on fast, bouncy pitches,” he said.

“He’s going to ‘nick off’ a lot and I think - as we saw before, aside from Lord’s - Australia really did have his number.”

Warne also revisited one of his favourite subjects of last summer when he again laid into Cook’s captaincy.

He infamously did so during the Durham Test, just before Stuart Broad kick-started an Australia collapse which gave England outright series victory for a third successive time.

“He can be negative, boring, not very imaginative - and still win and be happy,” Warne said of Cook.

“But I’ll tell you my opinion - I think Alastair Cook has to be more imaginative.

“I think if Australia play well, and he continues to captain the way he does, England will lose the series.

“He lets the game drift.”