Dear England, you depress me...

You showed no fight.

I'll be honest, I knew you would lose the Ashes, but I didn't think you would get rolled over so emphatically. Your victory last year will now be looked upon as just an anomaly. I am disappointed that did not play up to your full potential. I guess I'm more disillusioned (and impressed) by how ruthlessly the Aussies are playing now. Even with aging players, they continue to dominate this game. Last year's victory was a glimpse of perhaps a new era. That Australia were, in fact, beatable, that they have weaknesses just like all of us. There were indications that perhaps the world order of cricket might have changed slightly against their favor.

Not quite so...Their incredible run until this series, their planning, their desire to reclaim what should have been theirs was insurmountable. They were more aggressive and they knew how to get it. They tried new strategies, new field placings, new sledges....yet you were were stuck in glorious 2005 series. And lost or drew series after series in between.

So many mistakes. Where could I start? Playing both Giles and Jones was foolish. Choosing Flintoff as captain was foolish. Leaving out Panesar was dumb. Ignoring Mahmood was just silly. How can a bowler get into his stride, if you're not going to bowl him. He's the fastest of the lot. Give him first change and 20 overs an inning. And your batting was too defensive. While Australia scored at 4.5 runs an over, you would score at 2.5 runs. The best defense is offense. Lets not even talk about field placings. I have no clue what Flintoff must have been thinking when he placed his men.

Hope you recover soon. Sorry for the curtness in advance.

Sincerely