Stokes, McCullum keep England jobs

Sacking head coach Brendon McCullum after England’s Ashes debacle would have been the “easy thing to do”, according to England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould.

McCullum, director of cricket Rob Key and test captain Ben Stokes, are to remain in their posts despite the 4-1 Test defeat in Australia, a tour blighted by poor planning, substandard performances and off-field issues.

Gould was speaking alongside Key at Lord’s on Monday, discussing the findings of a review of the tour.

“I’ve seen the driving ambition and determination that we’re lucky enough to have within our leadership group to take the lessons from the Ashes and move forward,” said Gould.

“These are all individuals that have got other things that they can do in their lives. They are all committed to doing the best for England and to learning the lessons that are evident.”

A review or report seems to habitually follow an Ashes defeat in Australia. On this occasion, the ECB has resisted changing personnel, possibly against the desire of some sections of England supporters.

Some measures have already been implemented. England used a specialist fielding coach during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and T20 World Cup, though Key confirmed additions to the backroom staff would continue on an ad hoc basis.

There was also a midnight curfew imposed on players, while England are recruiting a new national selector and a new member of the board with an intention to boost cricketing expertise.

Beyond those changes, little new information was revealed by Key and Gould – perhaps an admission that the mistakes of the Ashes tour could have been prevented before the tour began.

McCullum and Stokes united as the leaders of the England Test team in 2022. Though both have continued to back each other in public, there was a clear divergence in their messaging in Australia.

Stokes referred to “weak men” in the dressing room, and asked for his players to “show some dog”. As his ability to score runs ground to a halt, the captain later suggested opponents have found ways to combat England’s attacking style. In contrast, McCullum thought England too easily came away from their methods in Australia.

(BBC)