'What don't we know?': Michael Vaughan launches stinging attack on England as fresh claims emerge
Michael Vaughan has launched a stinging attack on England after fresh claims regarding their diabolical Ashes tour continue to emerge.
A report from the UK Telegraph, syndicated by The Sydney Morning Herald, delivered an incredibly deep insight into the issues that resulted in a 4-1 series loss.
The report included claims at least one England player went out after the third Test in Adelaide, despite directions from captain Ben Stokes not to do so just weeks after Harry Brook landed himself on a final warning for a late-night bouncer altercation.
Then there was the ill-fated trip to Noosa, which caused quite a stir after the second Test defeat in Brisbane, before footage of an inebriated Ben Duckett surfaced online after the series had already been clinched by the Aussies with a 3-0 lead.
England investigating Noosa trip
Major question marks over the team's preparation under Brendon McCullum have been rife before, during and after the bludgeoning series loss to Australia, with the coach's relationship with Stokes now heavily under the microscope.
The continued fallout from the series and Brook's off-field incident left Vaughan ropable as the former Test captain ripped into the team, coaches and ECB hierarchy.
"The ECB pushed it under the carpet," he said on Fox Cricket commentary.
"They said they threw the kitchen sink in with a fine, but for it to have come out just a couple of days ago on the back of a poor Ashes series where performance levels have been indifferent, the loose nature of the preparation has been a big question mark.
"My experience is you've got to hit the nail on the head at the time it happens, because once it comes out afterwards, 'why did they brush it under the carpet?'.
"So the England captain was able to go out the night before have a fracas with a bouncer then still play – probably on the same day. That can't be right … he should've been suspended for that game. Then you deal with it there and then.
"I had no problems with Noosa, but I do have a problem with Noosa on the back of them hiding something in New Zealand that they didn't tell us about.
"Clearly there's a lot of conversations to be had and understanding of what is right and what is wrong. When I see things like that and hear things like that, I always go, what don't we know? I think there'll be a lot of conversations over the next week or two."
Vaughan was then asked if the current leadership group should continue post-Ashes.
"I don't think they should continue after the Harry Brook situation," he said.
"If someone isn't going to be made accountable for losing another Ashes series and then on the back of what we now know, what makes you accountable?
"Someone has to be made accountable for so many mistakes. It's been the same for two or three years now – whether they like it or not, that's been the case.
"It's quite a loose operation and there's not been consequence for performance or shots that have been played throughout the last two or three years."
England have not won an Ashes series since 2015 on home soil and have won just one Test from their last 15 when touring Australia.
McCullum, as well as captain Stokes and director of cricket Rob Key and the entire squad and coaching staff, will now be subject to a full-scale review from the ECB.
As team culture comes under scrutiny
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