The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday decided not to make any changes to their captaincy group following England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia following a review of the tour.Gould said firing people “would be an easy thing to do,” but he insisted, “this is not the time to throw everything out.”Managing director Rob Kay, head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes will continue in their roles. England, billed as their strongest team to tour Australia in 14 years, lost the Ashes with 11 days to go, with two Tests still to be played.“It’s sometimes the easy thing to push people forward. That’s not the path we’re going to take,” Gold said, according to the Associated Press news agency. “I have seen the driving desire and determination that we are so fortunate to have within our leadership group to learn from the Ashes and move forward.”Gould, who previously served as chief executive of Bristol City Football Club, said cricket operates differently to football and does not follow a rent-and-fire procedure.“Cricket is a very unique game in that it takes a team to lead… it’s not like football where there is a point of failure or success with a manager,” he said. He added that the ECB “will not elect or de-elect management on the basis of a popularity campaign.”The review identified issues related to preparation, player behavior and selection decisions during the tour.In a press conference at Lord’s, Gould and Key said there had been no “bust-up” between McCullum and Stokes. He added that McCullum is not expected to “completely change” but to “evolve” while admitting that the behavior of some players was “unprofessional”. He also pointed to harsh consequences for poor performances and a focus on “better long-term planning” ahead of big Test series.Some adjustments were already made during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals. Gould suggested that performance played a role in keeping McCollum in his position.Key accepted that supporters could expect tougher action.“I know people want punishment and then those people should be fired for that,” Kay said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t feel like we’ve been through some serious pain: Brandon, myself, Ben. It was as hard a time as I think I’ve ever been.”
