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Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott believes Joe Root should give up captaincy after the humiliating Ashes series ends.

England were bowled out for 68 – their lowest total on Australian soil since 1904 – as the hosts won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne by an innings and 14 runs to take a decisive 3-0 series lead.

England were criticized after their second-innings capitulation, with former captain Sir Ian Botham saying he was "embarrassed" to see them lose the Ashes in only 12 days of Test cricket.

"Now Australia are 3-0 up and the Ashes have gone, will Root please stop saying Australia are not much better than us? I don't mind him living in cuckoo land but stop trying to kid us," Boycott wrote in his column in The Telegraph.

"If he really believes what he says then maybe it is time he gave up the captaincy of the England cricket team. The facts are staring us all in the face, except Joe doesn't want to see it. England can't bat. Our bowling is ordinary,"

Boycott feels Root's decisions were wrong, such as batting first on a seamer-friendly pitch while leaving out James Anderson and Stuart Broad at the Gabba.

"It's every cricketer's dream to captain England and Joe has had 59 Test matches to mould and stamp his authority on this set of players. He has had 13 Tests against Australia with only two wins and nine losses," Boycott said.