The England players have let themselves and the country down. Good players do not become bad players to that extent overnight, and something is seriously amiss. To my eyes they looked in the wrong frame of mind from the start. Questions have to be asked over how they prepared for this tour in the 3 or 4 months from the end of last season. What were the coaches doing, and how did they get is so wrong ? Was it complacency, did they work hard enough ? Failure in sport is no different to any other walk of life and starts at the top. Flower and Cook must account to the ECB for their actions and justify their continued employment in their respective jobs. In football they would have been given the boot some time ago. On a positive note I am pleased with how England have conducted themselves on this tour. In contrast to the feral opposition, England have been competitive without being over-aggressive. I would never want England to sink to the depths of childish and pathetic behaviour shown by the opposition players. In addition, his failings with the bat notwithstanding Cook is a class act off the pitch as captain and would make an excellent diplomat when he retires from the game. I do think however the captaincy has affected his form this tour, and he and England would benefit if he stepped down. If there any tough Ray Illingworth types coming through the ranks at Yorkshire, would they please put their names forward ?

The batting is the main problem and has been for 2 years or more. England have not scored enough runs. Having said that as with any failing enterprise the problem starts at the top, Flower and Cook have said today they want to stay and build a new England team but there have to be question marks over both of them and Gooch, the batting coach.

Cook will score lots more runs for England but I'm not sure he will remain as captain. He looks to have had enough.

Well done to Stokes but let them off the hook again - nasty piece of work to the fore once more. Waugh and Lehman apart, was there ever a more unpleasant cricketer ?

Interesting debate between one who knows where he comes from and is loyal and the other who has the no morals. Keep it up chaps. Agree about Lehmann, an odious man whose code of conduct on and off the cricket field is the antithesis of the way the game should be played. I'm very surprised the EWB did not call for him to be censured by the ICC over his Broad comments last summer.

Well Ned, Botham's batting role at No 6 was different from that of Kallis who batted at No 3. Botham was one of the exciting hitters of a cricket ball in the history of the game.Who will ever forget the way he single-handedly destroyed the Australian bowling in 1981, but I expect that sticks in your antipodean craw. Botham's bowling was miles better than that of Kallis. His 8-34 against India was a masterclass in the art of swing. As for Larwood and Barnes, they weren't a patch on the greatest fast bowler of them all, Frank Tyson, a Lancashire lad from Bolton. Now how about complimenting a current England player on becoming the youngest player to make 8,000 runs in Tests ?

Well said Ned, ignoring the fact one of the greatest all-rounders played for "your" county. Stats don't tell the whole story. I played cricket to a reasonable level and I'm not easily impressed by professional cricketers. The test of a player for me is whether i would pay good money to watch them and I wouldn't pay to watch Kallis. I would however pay to watch Botham who always emptied the bars at cricket grounds whenever he came in to bat. We used to down tools at work to watch him on TV in his pomp because he was compulsive viewing. There haven't been many players in my lifetime of whom you could say the same. Now take back what you said about Cook and Bell and praise Cook for his 8,000 runs achievement.

Good player Kallis, but never had the ability to excite like Botham who in his pomp was the best I've seen. Anderson was bending the ball both ways only last summer. He'll come again. Rogers seems to be a popular player even among the England players but why would you want someone to do well against England unless you are a rock cruncher (which you've never denied) ? I know the Root family and want him to do well for Yorkshire but never against Lancashire. You're way off with your criticism of Cook and Bell too. Cook had to work hard at his technique after problems early in his career and Bell too has worked hard to improve after his temperament was questioned. I'll tell you what Ned Kelly: how about praising Cook for becoming the youngest player to make 8000 Test runs, beating even the likes of Tendulkar ? Go on, you can do it - even though he plays for your enemy England. .

Haddin comes across as a particularly nasty piece of work. His attempt to get Root out and then abusing him after the appeal was upheld was disgusting. If I had the ability to bowl at 90mph plus like Broad I know where I'd be aiming. Heavens knows what England's batsmen were thinking about yesterday - from Root's daft's runout to Bell's first ball shot that even a club cricketer would have been embarrassed to play this innings was the low point of a very poor series. England might take ten wickets today but it's highly unlikely. If Flower (and batting coach Gooch) were in football they'd have been sacked long before now.

Sailing along nicely at 60-0 but three quick wickets before I went to bed and the eventual outcome was entirely predictable when I turned on the wireless this morning. I'd be very surprised if our bowlers ran through them a second time.

Pfft. How long have you been following England cricket ? England have also reverted to their old trick of playing properly after the battle has been lost.

Quite right. Six wickets down and at least 100 runs short. Pietersen dropped twice too. England's batting has been a problem for almost 2 years now.

Extraordinary decision by Swann really, especially the timing of it. Couldn't he have waited until the end of the series ? Early 30s is too young to retire to for a slow bowler. As a club player who played until my fifth decade I wasn't even at my peak at 33 ! As with Trott however i think there may be a subtext with his decision. Probably involving his marriage.

Ah, Gallipoli. Another longstanding whinge like the so-called "Bodyline" series. Come on then. are you the descendant of convicts or just another turncoat ? Good interview with Andy Flower on the radio today. I might be wrong but he sounds like he's ready to pack it in.

Root will be an important batsman for England but it will take time. Compton looked a very good player to me but like Onions will go down as one of those players discarded for no apparent reason. Bairstow isn't a Test player - his technique is poor. As for the bowlers Anderson does look knackered and it does beg the question of why they have continued to pick him. Tremlett and Rankin were taken on the tour for their height and pace on bouncy wickets so why have they hardly played ?

The batsmen failed to perform from No 1 to No 11. Individual players will always go in and out of form but for the whole team to collectively bat so badly is the biggest disappointment. The warning signs were there last summer when England did not score many runs and again questions must be asked about preparations for this tour.

No he isn't. In fact you're contradicting yourself from your previous post.

It's about knowing your roots and your heritage and where you come from, and the betrayal of that identity. As I've said before I know Aussies over here who because they have lived in this country for many years support England in all sports except when England are playing Australia - which is the way it should be. It's different for players - it's a job of work. I've no problem with the many overseas-born players who have represented England down the years because they have made their homes and lives here. If they were using England as a flag of convenience then it would be different. And then all you get is pathetic responses like this.

An Englishman who supports Australia. Take all sorts but I guess some people have no morals or principles. Anyway back to the cricket. I hope this acts as a wake-up call for the England set-up which looks to be in need of a shake-up. Cook says all the right things but to me sounds like a manager rather than a leader on the field of play. I cannot imagine him dishing out bollockings in the dressing room because some are certainly needed.

All those players have made their home in England and have done for many years. Colin Cowdrey was born in India or would you have expected him to play for India too ? Unlike thenodrog I haven't thrown the Lord Haw-Haw jibe at you for some time but the cap does fit in your case.

This is what you should have written Kamy. To me it is unforgiveable.

Stokes moved to England aged 12. Presumably he had the choice to play for New Zealand but he wants to play for England. Well done to him. Good to see Stokes come good. England clap sporting players. You never have a good word to say about England. Now admit you're a convict.

I presume that's a convict attempt at humour. Fail.

Cook and/or Flower should remind the players about their responsibilities before the next match. They are very good players playing extremely badly at the moment and they are letting themselves and the country down. Is Cook too "nice" as captain ? Does Flower have the bottle to give the players the hairdryer treatment ? Something needs to change, and soon.

The story isn't about them more about England's collapse in batting form. The warning signs were there last summer and previous series when Cook and a few others struggled for runs. It's not unusual for players to suffer a dip in form but not usually the whole team. I also think the team looked underprepared from the start of this tour, which comes down to the management. This team has served England well for the past 5 years or so and some of the players for much longer. Time for change, starting from the top.