Boycott lambasts Cook's tactics

England great Geoffrey Boycott has blasted captain Alastair Cook’s “scrambled brain” and said the team needed to use more common sense to prevent yet another defeat to Australia.

Boycott has been shocked by England’s lacklustre efforts during the Ashes tour and laid some of the blame at Cook’s feet, saying he appeared frustrated and worn down by the Australian attack.

“Australia have worked Alastair out,” Boycott said in a column for the West Australian newspaper. “They give him nothing to score off his legs or hip and they are winning the battle.”

The plain-speaking Boycott could barely contain his anger at Cook’s second-innings dismissal in Adelaide for one, when he needed to get a big score. “Here was our captain, who is supposed to set the tone, hooking Mitchell Johnson down fine leg’s throat in the second over of the day, which shows his brain is scrambled,” he said. “We have some serious problems,” Boycott added.