BOYCOTT: ‘AUSSIES ON DIFFERENT LEVEL’

GEOFF Boycott claims the 4-0 Ashes scoreline in no way flattered Australia as he labelled England “false” for attempting to play down the gulf in class between the teams during the series.

The tourists suffered the ignominy of their heaviest defeat of the five Tests after they were crushed by an innings and 123 runs in Sydney to complete their misery Down Under.

Several England players and coaches have stressed the main difference between the sides is that Australia have seized the crucial moments.

However, Boycott, who featured i n 108 Tests between 1964 and 1982 for England, rubbished those suggestions, saying: “The series result is a fair reflection of the distance between the two teams.

“I think it’s a little false by a number of the England players to say they were quite close and that there were moments here and there. Quite honestly they were far better than us in nearly every department.”

Boycott compared Test cricket to chess and believes England were at times guilty of possessing a Twenty20 mindset.

He added: “I think a lot of people over the l ast 10 years, since the IPL started in India, are saturated and have got it in their head about scoring rates. Test cricket is not that, it’s like 11 people in whites playing chess. You’re moving the pieces and trying to get in a position. But it doesn’t happen quickly.”