Alastair Cook's brain is scrambled, says Geoffrey Boycott

England great Geoffrey Boycott today 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."

Geoffrey Boycott. File Pic

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.

He pointed out that half of England's dismissals during the Ashes had come from bad shots, with their second-innings 312 at Adelaide the first time they have passed 200 in the series. "What they have to work out is how they are going to get some pride back in the team," the former opening batsman said.

"They cannot do that unless they bat with more common sense and stop gifting wickets away."