Ashes format under scrutiny
The England and Wales Cricket Board have opened talks with their counterparts at Cricket Australia over how to make the Ashes more competitive as the tourists enter what chairman Colin Graves admits will be a period of ‘‘soul-searching’’ after their 4-0 series defeat.
England were comprehensively outplayed throughout the series, but Graves is adamant there will be no ‘‘witch hunt’’ and that coach Trevor Bayliss still retains the full support of his employers.
But there are set to be changes to the structure of Ashes tours in future after Graves said he was talking to James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, about how to make them a more even contest with just two of the last nine Ashes series this century won by the away team.
Talks are only at a preliminary stage but one step will be to improve the standard of warm-up opposition. England played three matches before the first test against a Cricket Australia XI made up of second-team state players. Australia face similarly weak county teams when they tour England.
There is also a realisation that cramming five tests into little more than six weeks is also gruelling for the players.
Under the new future tours programme one-day series will be split into separate tours from tests. It could allow for more time to spread out test matches.
‘‘We have a very good relationship with Cricket Australia and we are already talking to James Sutherland,’’ said Graves.
No matter what changes are made to the schedule, Graves admits England must take their own steps to ensure they are better prepared to win in Australia in four years’ time.
Changes to the team are likely to start next summer, rather than for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, and Graves is backing Andrew Strauss, director of England cricket, and Tom Harrison, chief executive, to make the right decisions when they sit down and review the winter.
‘‘Everyone is very disappointed. Everyone gave their all but we have to do things better going forward,’’ Graves told The Telegraph.
‘‘There is no specific review. We have Andrew Strauss and Tom Harrison in charge and I trust them completely to make the right decisions. There will be no witch hunt. We have to look at it and see how we can improve so in four years’ time we are better placed to win than we were this time.’’
Joe Root has already indicated he wants to captain England in Australia in 2021-22, and become the first player since the 1920s to lead the team on two Ashes tours.
His series ended in sickness and a hospital visit.
As the Ashes trophy was handed to Australia, England players turned off the lights in the dressing room so Root could sleep off his stomach virus, with vice-captain James Anderson doing media duties. It summed up the tour.
As for immediate changes, the options are limited. England have always viewed this winter as a whole so changes for New Zealand appear unlikely. James Vince and Mark Stoneman are the batsmen under pressure with Moeen Ali and the back-up seam bowling also areas of concern.