England 'feckless, reckless and legless' in Ashes - Wisden

England were beaten 4-1 in Australia, their fourth successive away Ashes series defeat England were "feckless, reckless and legless" on their dismal Ashes tour of Australia, according to the editor of the prestigious Wisden Almanack. Ben Stokes' side were beaten 4-1 on a trip dogged by poor on-field performances, sloppy preparation and allegations of a drinking culture. Lawrence Booth delivered his damning assessment in the influential editor's notes of the 163rd edition of the Almanack, which is published on Thursday.

"England arrived for the Ashes hell-bent on making history, and ended up being laughed out of town," wrote Booth. "England were feckless, reckless and legless. A trip supposed to define an era, described by Brendon McCullum as 'the biggest series of all our lives', descended into dilettantism.

What a waste. What a shame. "In the game's long history, it is hard to think of a privilege so carelessly squandered, a chance so blithely spurned.

A successful assault on Australia requires blood, sweat and tears, not dribs, drabs and vibes. " England Test captain Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key remained in their posts following a review of the Ashes series conducted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Booth said England should have come clean much sooner about an incident involving white-ball captain Harry Brook on the tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes.