England cricket bosses Rob Key and Richard Gould to address media following Ashes disaster
England cricket's managing director Rob Key and CEO Richard Gould will address the disastrous Ashes series in a media briefing at Lord's next week.
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The pair will discuss the winter series which ended in a 4-1 defeat Down Under and brought with it a string of controversies over the team's preparation.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) briefly attempted to block contracted players from fielding questions at pre-season county media days this week, in a bid to have senior management front up first to address the series.
That position was shelved after push back, with Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson all taking part in Surrey’s event at the Oval on Monday, but the organisation has moved quickly to make Key and Gould available.
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While no formal review is expected to published or presented, Key and Gould are set to reflect on the shortcomings of the winter and offer up key findings ahead of a summer programme which could be viewed as reset for the regime.
The position of head coach Brendon McCullum, who declared his eagerness to retain his job after the Ashes and reiterated that stance following a semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup, is sure to be a major talking point.
McCullum has baulked at suggestions that he runs a "casual operation" but criticisms of England’s warm-up schedule, big match preparation, selection policy and drinking habits have gained momentum.
They are issues that go to the heart of the set-up built by the New Zealander alongside Key and Test captain Ben Stokes and it will be instructive to hear how each subject is addressed moving ahead.
There has also been growing frustration in the domestic game about the apparent disconnect between the first-class system and the national side, while Pope admitted winning back the hearts of fans was important to the team.
"The misconception might be that we weren’t as fussed as it came across," he said.
"Of course we want to be a well-liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn’t allow that to happen in Australia.'
In the immediate aftermath of the final Test in Australia, Gould issued a statement reading: "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."
England raised hopes of a successful series after having the Australians on the ropes after the first day of the first test in Perth, but things quickly unravelled resulting in the hosts retaining their urn after just 11 days of play.
In the aftermath of the series, Key promised to investigate the drinking habits of the England team, following reports their mid-Ashes beach break resembled a "stag do."
The squad visited the idyllic resort of Noosa between the second and third Tests and questions were raised about the amount of time some individuals spent in bars.
The squad are due to welcome New Zealand and Pakistan for two test series this summer.