The preparation for reclaiming the Ashes began the moment Ricky Ponting stepped off The Oval that rainy day in September 2005. At the very same moment began a period of self-adulation and complacency that England never snapped out of.

The signs were there for all to see in Pakistan, in India and even throughout the summer in England. But they were ignored. A majority of the blame for the debacle has to be laid on the ECB and the team management. Everything in the lead-up period to the Ashes was a sham.

England lost Ashley Giles and Simon Jones immediately after the victory in 2005. Michael Vaughan was later added to the casualty list. The failed attempts at comebacks by Jones and Vaughan not only threatened their long-term careers but also questioned the credibility of the England medical staff, including the doctors who advised the players. England will have their fingers crossed the moment Vaughan steps onto the cricket field again.

The handling of the Marcus Trescothick issue was also messy. First, by not admitting and disclosing the obvious mental problems he had. Then, by assuming that he would walk into the biggest series in a long time without any serious cricket all summer.

I feared for Andrew Flintoff the moment he was appointed as England skipper. He was being burdened with the load of captaincy on top of being the team talisman, strike bowler and number six batsman. Something had to give. Not that there was no precedent. Ian Botham never made a successful captain. Neither did Shaun Pollock. The best captains in history have seldom been the best players of the side.

The victory in Mumbai was a one-off with Flintoff inspiring England to rise to another level combined with a bout of self-destruction by India. The Ashes are not won by merely inspiring a bunch of players. They are won by meticulous planning, shrewd captaincy, tactical acumen and innovation on the field. Something Vaughan had in abundance in 2005 - and something even Andrew Strauss showed signs of last summer. And something Flintoff lacked a lot in.

The best shot would have been to let Strauss handle the captaincy and Freddie get about his bowling and batting. Snatching the captaincy from Strauss after the success against Pakistan would have dented his confidence. This on the back of the drawn series against Sri Lanka under Flintoff.

England's approach to one-dayers also was diabolical. Australia built momentum by warming up to victories in the DLF Cup and Champions Trophy. Players scrubbed off the rustiness and built up confidence. ODIs and Tests are surely different, but match practice and confidence remain the same.

Meanwhile, England got hammered everywhere they went. And who would have thought that flying back to the UK for a few days to be with the family rather than hit the ground running in Australia would be a better idea?

The team selection going into the first Test was also mind-boggling. Rather than sticking to the winning XI from the summer, England decided to bring in a barely match-fit Giles, Jimmy Anderson and an out-of-form Geraint Jones.

Flintoff may talk about being proud of his team. Leading his country to a 5-0 defeat, the first since 1920-21, is nothing to be proud of. Some harsh words needed to be said in the dressing room and I doubt they were. They needed a reality check. MBEs awarded for playing bit-part roles in a one-off series don't count for anything.

All in all, it was a total mess. England lived in a delusional atmosphere, assuming all they had to do was turn up with as many members from the last Ashes win as possible and Australia would just roll over. Instead, they gave Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer the send-off parties they could only have dreamt of.

The scene had been set for an engrossing series between the two best teams in the world. What we got was a mis-match of titanic proportions.

Thanks, England. Thanks for ruining the greatest Ashes party we could have had!

What are your thoughts on the recent Ashes series? Could England have done better and, if so, how? Let us have your comments.