Ashes 2025/26: Australia vs England | 4th Test | Melbourne | December 26-30 | Pre-Match Discussion

[RexRex]

ECB lacks power to bring about change in attempt to arrest heavy Ashes defeats | Matt Hughes https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/24/ecb-england-ashes-defeats-cricket?CMP=share_btn_url

This is very concerning. ECB have no right to withdraw its centrally contracted players from the Hundred having sold the franchises - despite there being only two days between the Hundred final and the start of the Pakistan Tests.

In fairness they could beat Pakistan without any prep...but that's still not ideal. The article states even the IPL franchises don't have this much control.

Ashes defeats usually triggers a sense of existential crisis in English cricket and calls for reforms. Expect more articles over the coming days and weeks.

ECB's entire 100 strategy revolves around capturing a small slice of the Indian viewership market. I don't think it will work.

 

[Markhor]

@gibsyhesperis @RexRex

ECB cannot make meaningful domestic reforms because counties hold the votes - despite some barely producing international standard talent, and haemorrhaging money every year.

18 FC counties are just too many, proven by the declining quality of CC cricket over the last decade. Collectively they can't produce one international standard spinner !

Even when counties led their own review this summer, they rejected all proposals on the table.

The truth is FC cricket globally is in service of its national teams, not the other way around. Reform shouldn't be held hostage by dwindling county memberships consisting of 90 year olds who don't want to see fewer games at their ground because they saw Ted Dexter with their grandma there in 1958. How many more Ashes humiliations will it take before the penny drops ?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

1. Travis Head
2. Jake Weatherald
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Steve Smith
5. Usman Khawaja
6. Cameron Green
7. Alex Carey
8. Michael Neser
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Todd Murphy
11. Scott Boland