England Cricket 2026

Leuth

Addick Addict said:

The ECB review has come out with some stunning revelations (well not really - everyone bar Key and McCullum could see what they were doing wasn't working):

There is acknowledgment from all sides that mistakes were made in the lead-up to the Ashes and that, in future, there will need to be more adequate preparation for England players that will involve them playing more county cricket where that fits the schedule and their workload. There will also need to be better and more intense warm-up matches before away series where this can be arranged with the host board. There has already been an agreement between the ECB and Cricket Australia to allow for higher quality warm-up matches before each Ashes series, both here and in Australia.

McCullum and the Test captain, Ben Stokes, will need to realign on what they believe should be the style of play and tactics after the two appeared to diverge during the Ashes. McCullum seemed to stick with his belief that aggressive, attacking cricket was the best approach while Stokes moved more towards a traditional style of defensive play, hinting he wanted a team that showed grit and determination, perhaps more than style or flair, as that is what is required to win in Australia.

The review has also recognised that a great deal of goodwill towards the team was lost over the winter, both because of the nature of the meek surrender of the series, in only 11 days, but also because of the perception that they were unprofessional and unbothered. There was a sense too that the team’s management had allowed the culture to become overly relaxed and consequence-free and that is why some players felt it was acceptable to take part in excessive drinking and late nights out, even on the evening before a match, as was the case with Harry Brook before the ODI in Wellington in November.

Since the Ashes, a midnight curfew has been introduced and the ECB is understood to have made clear that, without veering too far the other way, the culture of the team must be more professional and focus on high performance, rather than one that sees golfing and nights out as an avenue to success. McCullum had already put in place some cultural changes to the dressing room during the T20 World Cup with more intense and longer practice and net sessions.

All this, and no realisation that the bowling is the problem, more than the batting 

MarcusH26

Surely this review is the end of Rob Key???. 

Addick Addict

The ECB have confirmed that Key, McCullum and Stokes will all retain their jobs.  

iaitch

A just reward for all their success!!!

Gravesend_Addick

Mad that at least 1 of McCullum &/or Key haven't been terminated.

Jobs for the boys

& keeps Crawley at the top of the order for the next few test series!!

Addick Addict

Of course the ever so transparent ECB will not reveal the full details of the review thereby marking their own homework. The fact that England cricket fans fund the salaries of the executives and the management doesn't seem to occur to them. 

carly burn

Well if they f**k up again then those above Key, McCullum & co will have to fall on their swords.

Chris_from_Sidcup

Addick Addict said:

The ECB have confirmed that Key, McCullum and Stokes will all retain their jobs.  

Pretty lucky after the Ashes debacle.