'I would be amazed': English admission after Ashes 'humiliation'

The reaction to England's dramatic Ashes capitulation has raged on in the UK, with former players and pundits still in disbelief.

Some, including one of their all-time greats in Michael Vaughan, have all-but given up on their chances of regaining the Ashes urn.

Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph that England's batters did not prepare themselves adequately for the bowler-friendly Perth pitch, saying their lackadaisical approach came back to bite them.

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David Warner (L) and Michael Vaughan.

"Already, they are at the point where they cannot afford to get it wrong again. I hope they prove me wrong, but I would be amazed if they turn it round from here," he wrote.

"What hurts fans is that there have been teams England have brought to Australia where I've thought even if they play at 120 per cent they are going to lose. The Aussies were just better. This is not one of those teams.

"Ben Stokes' side has almost everything required, except world-class spin and a killer instinct. As quickly as they get ahead, they fall behind.

"I go back to the preparation … you cannot tell me the batsmen were at all ready for the rigours of batting in Perth.

"They will say 'you wouldn't understand, it's the modern game'. Nonsense. It's ridiculous to suggest that an intra-squad game on a featherbed at Lilac Hill, then batting for three days on bouncy nets gets you ready. In the nets, there are no fielders. You don't see the keeper take the ball above his head."

Legendary English commentary David 'Bumble' Lloyd agreed fully with Vaughan's assessment. 

"It was a shock. It was disappointing. Performance and preparation. If you don't prepare well, prepare to fail," Lloyd told TalkSport.

"That's exactly what happened. There's nothing better than match practice and play to get yourself attuned to what is going to come.

"I think they couldn't cope with the pace and the movement of the pitch, it took them by surprise.

"England were in full control and then the collapse comes and they couldn't hack it."

That's a far-cry from Lloyd's pre-Ashes prediction that England would win 5-0. 

Former cricketer, pundit and umpire David 'Bumble' Lloyd during a net session.

The fury is palpable on the other side of the world. 

The BBC's chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt labelled it England's worst capitulation in Australia in years. 

"There have been some doozies. Bowled out for 68 by Scott Boland four years ago. Terrorised by Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14. Spun out by Shane Warne after declaring on 551-6 in Adelaide in 2006," he wrote.

"This hits different. England had a golden opportunity to pounce in Perth, win their first Test in this country for 14 years and their first away Ashes opener since 1986.

"Instead, the shiny new Perth Stadium has turned out to be just the same as the WACA – dripping in English disappointment. Only one win in 15 visits to this city in 55 years."

The Independent's Cameron Ponsonby labelled the loss a "humiliation", saying he was "shellshocked" in the aftermath.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain pointed his criticism squarely at Harry Brook, who threw his wicket away amongst the second-innings collapse.

"He needs to just park the ego a little bit and realise what a supreme talent he is," he told the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.

"He must have known going to Perth, they're going to bounce him. He must now know going to the next game, they're going to bowl that sixth-stump line. Just have a plan on what are you going to do. It's just what all cricketers at this level, any level, have to do."

A fellow former captain in Michael Atherton is frustrated for the Barmy Army and English fans who would have paid considerable money and sat on a plane for nearly 20 hours, just to watch a two-day disaster.

"Quite a few England supporters were on the train (back into Perth) and I was chatting to them… their reaction was a mixture of absolute bafflement but also a touch of anger," he told Sky Sports.

"Thousands of supporters have flown out and spent vast amounts of money to watch the England team.

"To have no cricket on day three, four and five, you can understand that reaction."

Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Harry Brook of England

Naturally, the reaction to England's decision to allow their XI to skip the pink-ball warm-up match in Canberra between the two Tests has also not gone down well. 

Chief sports writer for The Telegraph Oliver Brown labelled the decision "arrogant" and "entitled".

"It is not the value attached to vibes, or "camaraderie" as Brendon McCullum prefers to call it, that I find most bewildering about this England team," Brown wrote.

"It is not even the fact that, with a 12-day break between Tests, they would rather luxuriate by the Queensland coast than send their bungling batsmen to Canberra for a pink-ball match, their one chance of exposure to the day-night setting before facing Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins under the lights in Brisbane.

"It is the idea that, even when taking a decision incomprehensible to those outside the Bazball bubble, they feel no need to explain themselves to anyone."

Vaughan himself labelled the decision "amateurish", urging them to get practice under pink-ball conditions.

Clearly however, McCullum and Stokes will continue to do as they please, to the chagrin of English pundits. 

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