David Graveney, in Hong Kong as manager of England's side in an international cricket sixes tournament, said victory over Pakistan and India in back-to-back away series would end Australia's long reign at the top.
"We are halfway there, having beaten Australia and won the Ashes. But to become the world's top team we have to ... beat Pakistan and India," Graveney told the Sunday Morning Post.
England take on Pakistan in a three-Test and five one-day series starting next month before returning to the subcontinent in February to play India.
Graveney said Australia's dominance of the recent Super Test series against a World XI showed that England's bitter rivals deserved their number one spot.
"But England are up there," Graveney was quoted as saying. "The mark of a good team is to beat Australia, anywhere, and also to win on the sub-continent."