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England Ashes squad was pampered: former players

England captain Andrew Flintoff puts his hat back on after waving to his squad's supporters after the fifth and final Ashes cricket Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Australia won the match and the best-of-five Test series 5-0. PHOTO: REUTERS

Pampered and under-prepared.

That is what the critics said about England's Ashes performance on Friday after Australia won by 10 wickets in the final Test in Sydney to complete its first 5-0 series sweep for 86 years.

"It's one hell of a beating. They have just been murdered," former England opener Geoffrey Boycott said.

"Whenever the questions have been asked of England, they have faltered and they have not been mentally strong enough, or technically good enough, to hold the Australians at bay," he said.

England lost every game easily and the outspoken Yorkshireman said the players did not deserve the royal awards they received from Queen Elizabeth II after beating Australia in 2005 to regain the little urn for the first time in 19 years.

"People like me played 100 Test matches to get one," Boycott said of his OBE.

"I didn't play five Test matches and get one. I feel so bad about mine, I'm going to tie it round my cat," he said.

Two more former England captains, Ian Botham and Nasser Hussain, said the current players under coach Duncan Fletcher had it too easy compared to Australia.

"I've traveled here with the Australians a little bit in the same hotel," Hussain said.

"They get on a little minibus every morning, Shane Warne with a [cigarette] out of the window. You see England with big buses, security guards, 45 back-room staff, all pampered. `Everything OK? Your bags OK?' Warney is carrying his bag on his back with his shirt hanging out -- they do it themselves," he said.

Hussain said he was amazed by an interview with paceman Steve Harmison, who is flying home after the Ashes series.

"The interview for me summed up everything that's been wrong on this tour," Hussain said.

"Do you think Shane Warne runs to the coach and says: `What am I going to do, coach?' Do it yourself. When you do things yourself and you're not pampered and you're not looked after all your life, when you get in pressure situations you'll get out of them yourself," Hussain said.

England players are contracted to the team, which means they don't have to play for their counties.

Botham, who scored a series-turning 149 against Australia in 1981, said that may have taken away their competitive edge.

"We've gone a little bit too much towards what the players want rather than what we know is good for the players," Botham said.

"England were undercooked and under prepared. We must get that right and maybe it's just a bit too easy for them at the moment," he said.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said that a comprehensive review of the tour will soon take place.
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