BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: The Root of England respect issue

THERE is no denying it. England's Ashes tour of Australia has been a shambles from the moment the English side stepped off the plane.

CRICKET: With several off-field incidents compounding on a poor on-field effort in the second Ashes test, England's tour of Australia has become a shambles.

But we look into what is the problem brewing inside the England dressing room and who is at fault in this week's edition of Behind the Sports Desk with Moose and Pottsy.

MOOSE: Bowling brigade at the heart of England's woes

THERE is no denying it. England's Ashes tour of Australia has been a shambles from the moment the Poms stepped off the plane.

Not unlike a British school leaver utilising the balmy Aussie sun, and constantly chilled schooners, for the gap year celebration of a lifetime - England cricket stars have been running amok.

And it needs to stop if they are to regain any respect on this tour.

Joe Root is confident in his ability as a player and a captain and has earned his place at the helm of a sinking Endeavour.

He is the kind of player that could plug the hole, drain the boat, and re-charter its course to the top of the cricketing world.

But with a mutiny rising in the ranks in the form of his fast-bowling battalion, it seems even God can't save the Queen.

On field Root was a shining light for the tourists in their near-miss at Adelaide and they will need something superhuman from him if they are to pull the series out of the fire at Australia's very own furnace, the WACA.

But he will need a major turn of face from his top line stars Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Alastair Cook if he is to rescue a torrid Ashes tour.

There comes a time when you need to buck up and listen to the captain. He deserves that respect, he has earned that respect.

They say an Ashes tour can make or break an England captain.

For Joe's sake, lets just hope it ain't the latter.

POTTSY: Lack of control at the helm for England

IT'S OBVIOUS to all that Joe Root has lost control of his team, and as a result, any chance he had of retaining the Ashes urn.

If the players respected their captain, I would have thought they would pull their heads in and start putting in a decent preparation for their do-or-die test in Perth, which started yesterday.

Instead they went back to the pub where Jonny Bairstow infamously conducted an introduction courtesy of his cranium and got on the lash, before one of their tour players tipped a beer over Jimmy Anderson's head.

Anderson probably had it coming, but that's beside the point. Where is the captain to pull these blokes into line, lay down the law and get some discipline back into an English side that has been on the receiving end of two losses?

The drinking and misbehaviour is just a manifestation of the lack of respect shown on the field.

People have been quick to judge Root in his ill- fated decision to have a bowl after winning the toss at Adelaide. But he is the captain, and it's the job of the team to back their captain and make the most of his decision. No sooner had the words left Root's mouth at the coin toss, I bet Anderson and Broad dropped their heads. Their body language showed they had no desire to bowl first, and their lack of respect for their captain was astounding.

England need to show some respect, and it starts with their captain.

Originally published as BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: The Root of England respect issue