Geoff Boycott column

By Geoff Boycott Former England batsman

If England had been playing Australia at Lord's they would have won the game by Sunday night.

Flintoff sat back and waited for things to happen - If Michael Vaughan had been captain they would have won

They were very committed and focused against the Aussies last summer, but against Sri Lanka they thought they were going to win easily and took their eye off the ball.

Whenever you play top sport and get complacent it gives you a kick up the backside, and that's what they got.

It should have been a formality but England weren't intense enough and didn't show the desire they did against Australia.

There has been plenty of talk about Andrew Flintoff's captaincy.

There was a malaise about the whole team and he got sucked into it, sitting back and waiting for things to happen - if Michael Vaughan had been captain they would have won the match.

Vaughan is the best captain in the world and would have told some of the players to get their fingers out.

He would have been inventive and imaginative with the field placings just as he was last year when he was far superior to Australia's Ricky Ponting.

Ultimately it's about attitude because, man for man, England are better than Sri Lanka and they should have beaten them comfortably.

If England had caught their catches they would have won but if their attitude had been better they would have caught the catches

Once Vaughan, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones are fit they will come back and strengthen the side, there's no doubt at all about that, but the current England team was good enough to win in four days.

They had them down and, as the old American phrase goes, never give a sucker an even break.

When you've got your foot on the throat, you must finish off the job but England eased up, became complacent and took it for granted that we would win.

Of course, if they had held their catches they would have won but if their attitude had been better they would have caught them.

The second Test starts in Edgbaston a week on Thursday and I wouldn't make any changes to the team - I'd just demand a better attitude and concentration.

I expect England to win both remaining Tests. With the ability they have they should win.

They're a better side than Sri Lanka - to let them off the hook was poor and they shouldn't do it again.