Gladstone Small, a member of the last England side to win the Ashes, says that the current team's failure to take them off Australia was 'no disgrace'.
Former Warwickshire paceman Small topped England's Test bowling average with 12 wickets at just 15 runs apiece when Mike Gatting's side triumphed in Australia back in the 1986-87 season.
But Small said the fact Nasser Hussain's men had already gone down 3-0 in the best of five series, following Sunday's innings defeat at Perth, was no surprise.
"Any team would have struggled against this side. When I played, if you made 200 in a day for the loss of three wickets, you thought you'd done well. These guys (Australia) go for 400 in a day and don't care if they are all out," said Small.
Small said the loss of batsman Graham Thorpe, who refused to tour because of personal problems, and Andrew Flintoff, who is in Australia but is yet to play a Test as he continues to struggle with a groin injury, had cost England dear.
"Thorpe, batting at four or five, could have held the innings together. He's an especially good player of quick bowling," said Small.
"And Flintoff's bowling would have been useful on those hard wickets, it would have put a bit more pressure on."
Small was uncertain whether this present Australia side was the best of his time but the 41-year-old was in no doubt that it was right up there.
Aussie quick bowler Jason Gillespie has sent a message to English tailenders fearful of facing fast, short deliveries - learn to deal with it.
Fellow Australian paceman Brett Lee injured England's Alex Tudor in the third cricket Test in Perth on Sunday, then was booed after bouncing tailender Steve Harmison two balls later.
But Gillespie said international cricketers were paid well and should know how to bat.
"We're professionals, mate, and we get paid to play cricket, that means you've got to practice your skills and get yourself right," Gillespie said at Adelaide Airport today.
"I don't mind getting bounced when I'm batting, I'm no great batter myself but I've got to learn how to play it, it's as simple as that."
Gillespie also said he was unconcerned about having several catches put down off his bowling during Australia's wins in the past two Test matches, in Adelaide and Perth.
"I'm bowling well and the team's winning, so there's no problems," he said.
"A few nicks went down, but it doesn't matter as long as we win."
England's chairman of selectors David Graveney has insisted he will not be pressured into making sweeping changes for the fourth Ashes Test.
Former England captain Ian Botham led the calls for younger players to be given a chance following the defeat in Perth which handed the Ashes to Australia.
But Graveney refused to consider "ripping up the script" as England look to avoid going 4-0 down in Melbourne.
"We've got some young players and they are being developed quicker with the existence of the academy," said Graveney.
"But there is no point throwing in young players just for the sake of it. They've got to be good enough players to play.
"Like Nasser Hussain was saying about his own position as captain, it would be crazy for a younger guy to be captain at the present stage.
"Sure, there will be some changes, but we've got to play our best team."
Australia's Brett Lee has admitted he was shocked by the sight of a bloodied Alex Tudor staggering away from the wicket in Sunday's Third Ashes Test.
Tudor was taken from the Waca Ground on a stretcher after being hit by a Lee bouncer, resulting in the Englishman receiving six stitches in a wound above his left eye.
Tudor's injury led to Lee being jeered by England supporters as Australia went on to win the Test by an innings and 48 runs to clinch the series 3-0.
"It sort of freaked me out a little bit because I don't like seeing blood on the pitch and I went in to make sure that he was okay," Lee said on Monday.
"He was pretty shaken up by it. I think he was in shock, but I went after the game to make sure he was okay and he was fine with it.
"He knows it is part of the game and people sometimes do get injured. It's part of Test cricket, but I certainly went up and apologised afterwards to make sure he was okay."
The England career of former captain Adam Hollioake will be resurrected if Andrew Flintoff fails to come through a practice match in Perth.
Flintoff, who has not featured in any of the three Ashes Tests, has been included in the 15-man squad for the one-day VB series.
But fellow all-rounder Hollioake will earn a long-awaited recall if Flintoff's troublesome groin flares up in the two-day match, which started on Monday.
"If Flintoff doesn't come through the game then Adam Hollioake will replace him for the matches leading up to Christmas time," said chairman of selectors David Graveney.
"We've only got a 15-man squad so the balance of the squad has got to be resolved."
Surrey skipper Hollioake, who captained England to one-day success in the Sharjah Cup in 1997, has not represented his country since May 1999.
With England to name their World Cup squad soon, the seemingly lost hopes Hollioake had of winning a berth have been given new life.
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar will lead a formidable batting line-up in the upcoming series against New Zealand after recovering from a hamstring strain which kept him out of recent one-dayers against West Indies, coach John Wright said on Monday.
The bulk of former national cricket captain Hansie Cronje's estate, with a value of more than R7-million, has been left to his wife, Bertha.