England’s women are “at least 20% behind Australia in everything”, according to former men’s Test captain Sir Alastair Cook.

Heather Knight’s side suffered their latest humiliation of a chastening Women’s Ashes tour by being bowled out for 90 in the third and final T20 in Adelaide, meaning they remain winless after six white-ball matches.

Australia now lead the series 12-0, with four points up for grabs in the one-off Test which rounds off the multi-format contest on 30 January.

There has never been a 16-0 clean sweep in the multi-format series which has been in existence since 2013.

“This series has shown the reality of where the two sides are,” Cook said on TNT Sports.

“But the best thing about when you go down to 5-0 or a clean sweep, is that you’re at the bottom and the only way is up.

“Ultimately, England are about 20% behind Australia at everything – batting, bowling, fielding, athleticism, the lot.”

Cook led England during a winless Ashes series of his own in 2013-14 and said that clarity and honest reflection was the only way of recovering from the “doom and gloom”.

Knight and head coach Jon Lewis are both under enormous scrutiny as they have repeatedly insisted the gap between the sides is not as big as the scoreline suggests.

It has been a disappointing decline in England’s competitiveness, considering they won both white-ball series of the drawn Ashes at home in 2023, and Cook added that it would take at least two or three years to catch Australia again.

“You get to the point where you either sulk, you quit, or you go again,” added Cook.

“We lost 5-0 and then won the Ashes back 18 months later, so it is possible, but if you’re not honest then you won’t get anywhere.

“So they’ve got the exciting thing of playing the Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but then you look at the reality of where you are at as a side, as a system, and how do we use it to get better?”