The former Australia skipper accused Root of sounding shy, quiet and “like a little boy” after defeats in Brisbane and Perth rather than the tough leader England need.

And he added that Root is deluding himself if he thinks England have been competitive in this series.

Ponting, working as a pundit for BT Sport, conceded Root is under huge pressure marshalling a side who have been thrashed 3-0. But he insisted the England captain needs to toughen up.

“Joe seems like he is under the sort of extreme pressure that he has never felt before, which is what you would expect in Ashes contest,” said Ponting, who led Australia in four Ashes series.

“And while I know he is not [naturally] too forthright or too on the front foot he has been really quiet and too shy to say too much. They need him to step up big time.

“The way he answered a lot of the questions after the game last week and the Brisbane game as well seemed almost like a little boy. You need to be more than that as a leader, especially when things aren’t going well.

“Even if it is not natural to you sometimes you have to put on a different face and stand up for what you think is right and what you believe in, not only inside the dressing room but outside it as well. For me, it just looks like it has been a little bit soft.”

Ponting did not spare England’s senior players from his withering broadside either, insisting off-field behaviour stretching from Ben Stokes in Bristol to late nights in Perth demonstrated a “lack of respect” for Root’s leadership.

“Joe has been under pressure right from the start because of things that have been happening off the field and what those things show was a complete lack of respect for him as captain,” said Ponting.

“There is always a bigger picture out there [for players] and if you are found out doing the wrong thing it doesn’t just impact on you, it impacts your captain.

“England had time to deal with the Stokes thing but the things that happened in Perth [led to] him having to go out and answer for all that stuff.

“He was the one fronting the press conferences and doing the talking and it does show a lack of respect as far as I am concerned.”

Both head coach Trevor Bayliss and Root have maintained repeatedly that England have landed blows on Australia throughout the series for all that they have struggled to maintain pressure. But Ponting is having none of it.

“They keep talking about how good they have been through the series and how competitive they have been at different times. I am not seeing that at all,” said Ponting.

“They haven’t played any cricket that has put them a long way ahead in any game; they have played cricket that is trying to sneak ahead for a time.

“They have won all three tosses, and lost by 10 wickets in Brisbane. Everything that could have gone their way in Adelaide went their way and they lost by 120 runs, and then by an innings and 41 runs in the third Test.

“That doesn’t add up with a team that has been ultra competitive and just not taken the little opportunities. They have been completely blown away and blown off the park.

“Unless you can find some drastic ways to get better I’m not sure how they are going to improve.

“I said before the series that I couldn’t see England winning a Test and I haven’t seen anything that would alter my judgment.”

Watch the Ashes exclusively live on BT Sport throughout the series with daily highlights, and short highlights available for free every evening from 7pm on bt.com and on the BT Sport app. For more information visit www.bt.com/sport.