"Never been a better time to put pressure on Australia" - Alastair Cook urges England to gain an edge from the Tim Paine controversy

Alastair Cook has called on Joe Root's England side to put pressure on Australia, who appear unsettled by the Tim Paine saga, in the upcoming Ashes.

Paine stood down as Test captain last week under controversial circumstances after his sexually explicit texts to a former colleague in 2017 emerged.

Cricket Australia appointed Pat Cummins as skipper, although the quick has no previous international captaincy experience. Ex-captain Steven Smith has been named his deputy.

Former captain Cook believes England have an opportunity to gain a psychological edge in the much-anticipated series. The 36-year-old wrote in his column for the Times:

"There has never been a better time to put pressure on Australia because the departure of Tim Paine as captain and his subsequent withdrawal from the Test squad is the kind of external noise that a team does not need going into such an important series."

Although Paine won't play in the Ashes series, the sexting saga is likely to feature throughout in the form of sledging. It is also highly unlikely that 36-year-old Paine will be selected again for Australia on his return from an indefinite break.

"The removal of an established captain is a distraction" - Alastair Cook

Tim Paine has taken a mental health break from cricket

Cook also felt the removal of an established captain in such circumstances "can only unsettle the team dynamic."

"There has been speculation that Paine's absence will make Australia stronger. It’s possible that his replacement, whether it’s Alex Carey or Josh Inglis, may be a better wicketkeeper-batsman. But the removal of an established captain, in such circumstances, is a distraction that can only unsettle the team dynamic," he wrote.

England last won a Test on Australian soil during the 2010-11 series. The first Test of the 2021-22 series begins in Brisbane on December 8.