England Ashes review ends with ECB backing Key, McCullum and Stokes after Australia loss

Add as a preferred source on Google

England kept the same leaders after losing the Ashes 4-1 in Australia. The England and Wales Cricket Board finished its tour review on Monday (March 23).

The review was announced within hours of the final match in January. ECB chief executive Richard Gould said job cuts were not planned.

Managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes stayed in place. England lost the series in 11 days, with two matches left. Gould said removing staff could seem simple, but the ECB was not doing that. Gould said, "This is not the time to throw everything out."

Ashes review and ECB leadership decisions

Gould said the ECB wanted the leadership group to learn and improve. Gould also said, "Moving people on can sometimes be the easy thing to do. Thats not the route that were going to take," and pointed to strong motivation. Gould said the leadership aimed to take lessons from the Ashes and move forward.

Gould compared cricket to football to explain the approach. Gould, a former Bristol City soccer club chief executive, said cricket relied on shared leadership. Gould said, "Cricket is a very unique sport in that it takes a team of leadership... its not like football where theres a single point of failure or success with a manager," and rejected a hire-and-fire style.

Ashes criticisms and areas flagged for change

The tour drew criticism for weak preparation, player misbehavior and selection errors. At a press conference at Lords, Gould and Key addressed several claims. Gould and Key said McCullum and Stokes did not have a bust up. Gould and Key said the aim was evolution, not a complete change.

Gould and Key said the behaviour of some players was unprofessional. Gould and Key also said there would be stronger consequences for underperforming. Gould and Key said planning would improve for major test series. Some changes were already used for the Twenty20 World Cup. England reached the semifinals in that tournament.

Ashes aftermath and reaction from Rob Key

Gould suggested results at the Twenty20 World Cup helped McCullum’s position. Key said some supporters expected the management group to face punishment. Key said, "I know people want punishment and that people then should be sacked for that," while stressing the group had suffered.

Key said the period had been hard for those in charge. Key said,"That doesnt mean we dont feel like weve gone through some serious pain: Brendon, myself, Ben. Its been as tough a time as I think Ive had." The ECB ended its review without dismissals. The board said it would focus on learning and stronger preparation.

With inputs from PTI