Former England test players delivered harsh judgment on the performances of Joe Root's side in the Ashes series, after Tuesday's thumping defeat in the third test saw Australia retain the urn with two matches to spare.
England were routed for 68 in their second innings on the way to a humiliating innings and 14-run loss in Melbourne, as Australia took a 3-0 lead after winning the Brisbane opener by nine wickets and the second match in Adelaide by 275 runs.
"I'm a little embarrassed, to be honest," former England captain Ian Botham said on Australia's Channel 7.
"To lose the Ashes in 12 days ... I just think that England have lost their way. The performance today summed it up.
"It's been a walk in the park for the Australians. It burns me to say that but they have completely outplayed England."
Michael Vaughan, another former skipper, said England had not focused on test cricket enough.
"They're a group of players that pride themselves on competing and they've just not managed to find any kind of consistency or skill," Vaughan told Fox Cricket.
"It's not been easy in these times: the England side haven't had a great deal of preparation. But if you want to look for excuses you can, you can always find excuses - this test match team for quite a while has not been good enough.
"The focus has been on the white ball team and it delivered a World Cup, but we're not a good enough cricketing nation to take our eye off the ball of test match cricket."
Moeen Ali, who retired from test cricket in September, said there was a massive gulf in class between Australia and England.
"Australia are just way ahead of England," Ali told BT Sport. "I didn't think the gap was that big before the series but I almost think it is bigger than we are willing to admit. I can't remember many sessions we have won in this series."
Ex-England pace bowler Steve Harmison added that "there was no fight" and said careers were on the line.
Another former captain, Michael Atherton, believes that the structure of English cricket is to blame for the shocking results.
"Beyond questions of individual responsibility which cannot be avoided, it may be that this latest hammering brings pressure to bear upon systemic change," Atherton wrote in The Times.
"The hollowing out of English first-class cricket, pushed to the margins of the season and sacrificed at the altar of one-day cricket, has resulted in a domestic standard that is routinely revealed to be sub-standard when players come to this part of the world. Over five tests, an Ashes series is partly a referendum on respective systems, and the result of this year s is clear," he added.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said Joe Root must step down as captain, after his team's meek surrender in Melbourne.
"Now Australia are 3-0 up and the Ashes have gone, will Root please stop saying Australia are not much better than us? I don't mind him living in cuckoo land but stop trying to kid us," Boycott wrote in his column in The Telegraph.
"It's every cricketer's dream to captain England and Joe has had 59 test matches to mould and stamp his authority on this set of players. He has had 13 tests against Australia with only two wins and nine losses.
"Nobody would want to give up the captaincy, but it is not about Joe - it is about getting guys to perform better."
Reuters.
