'Out of control' - Cook questions England tactics

England had "no plan" and were "out of control" in the face of Razaullah's stunning hitting on the third day of the final Test against Pakistan, according to former captain Alastair Cook.

Razaullah, the 21-year-old batting at number nine on Test debut, clobbered 81 from 63 balls at Edgbaston.

He shared a ninth-wicket partnership of 121 with Muhammad Abbas to drag the third Test into an unlikely fourth day, with England set 130 for victory.

Though the hosts are heavy favourites to earn a 3-0 clean sweep, the carnage of the final session was an alarming spell as Joe Root begins his second spell as captain.

Root's tactics were often criticised in his first spell as skipper and there were further questions of the Yorkshireman when he stood in for former captain Ben Stokes earlier this summer.

"You can get done by the tail - it's very hard when people have the license and ability to hit sixes," Cook told Test Match Special. "What I saw was no plan, it got out of control.

"That's when you need the backroom staff and coaches to step up. I would loved to have seen a message and some real leadership from the coaches."

England are currently led by interim head coach Marcus Trescothick, with New Zealander Stephen Fleming due to take on the role from December's tour of South Africa.