England are imploding after the latest in a series of alcohol-related incidents but Kevin Pietersen has climbed into the tourists for other failings, accusing Alastair Cook of looking uninterested, batsmen of making out that the Australian attack "is the scariest bowling they've ever faced" and suggesting there may be a factional split in Joe Root's touring party.

At 2-0 down in the Ashes series and with England Lions squad member Ben Duckett having caused a new wave of controversy by throwing a beer over the head of James Anderson in a Perth bar, England are in proper eat-their-own mode.

Pietersen is at the front of the queue. He says the surprise decision by captain Root to bowl first after winning the toss in Adelaide may not have had the support of all his players.

"I have heard there are rumours that a couple of people didn't want to bowl first in Adelaide. If a couple of people didn't want to bowl and Root's made that decision and they've lost, yeah there are certain factions that can happen in dressing rooms when that happens," said Pietersen, who on the weekend labelled the Duckett episode a "f****** embarrassment" on Twitter.