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England Cricket CEO to conduct 'thorough review' after 4-1 Ashes defeat

Harsh Adwani

England to undergo thorough review after Ashes defeat [Source: @englandcricket/x.com]England to undergo thorough review after Ashes defeat [Source: @englandcricket/x.com]

England faced a massive disappointment during the recently concluded Ashes, where they faced a 4-1 loss at the hands of Australia. Barring the win in Melbourne, nothing much went England’s way. The hosts were too dominant throughout the series, and as a result, England’s wait to get their hands on the Ashes continues.

Now, England Cricket’s CEO, Richard Gould, has issued a statement in which he revealed that the series will be thoroughly reviewed. The tour planning and preparation, individual performance, behaviours, and the team’s ability to play under different conditions will all be taken into account.

“We will take many lessons from this tour and are determined to improve quickly. Our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027. A thorough review of the campaign is already underway. This will cover tour planning and preparation, individual performance and behaviours, and our ability to adapt and respond effectively as circumstances require,” Gould said in his statement released by the ECB.

“The men’s team now moves on to Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which begins in February, and we will implement the necessary changes over the coming months,” he added.

Australia deserved to retain the Ashes, believes Richard Gould

The 56-year-old was disappointed that England did not put in a strong performance. He added that while there were moments of resilience, they were not consistent enough and that Australia deserved to win the series.

“This Ashes tour began with significant hope and anticipation, and it is therefore deeply disappointing that we have been unable to fulfil our ambition of winning the Ashes in Australia.

“While there were moments of strong performance and resilience during the series, including a hard-fought victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne, we were not consistent enough across all conditions and phases of the contest, and Australia ultimately deserved to retain the Ashes,” he said.

What does England need to do to get to their best?

While the Bazball approach looks flashy, it is not always sustainable. The Ashes was proof of that. They need to adopt a mixed approach, where they play attacking cricket but can also switch to a more conservative style when the situation demands it.

During their trip down under, Ben Stokes and his men were hellbent on playing attacking shots, even in situations where they lost back-to-back wickets. Only Joe Root, one of the few consistent performers for them, was able to switch and adapt to the situations.

England will have to realise that playing with a positive mindset does not necessarily mean playing one-dimensional cricket. Their batters can try and stay in the middle for longer when necessary and still have the intent to win the match at any cost. For them, it should be about playing smart and not just fast.