England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has stated that terminating the contract of England’s all-format coach Brendon McCullum would’ve been the easy thing to do, but the New Zealander has managed to keep his job.

Even ECB director of cricket Rob Key and Test captain Ben Stokes are to remain in their posts despite the 4-1 Test defeat in Australia. Concerns regarding the dressing-room culture were raised by stories of players drinking excessively during breaks, in addition to their subpar performances.

Vice-captain Harry Brook was revealed to have gotten into a fight with a bar bouncer during the pre-Ashes trip to New Zealand.

However, the trio in charge has managed to keep their jobs following a review of the Ashes campaign by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"There was a lot of consideration as to what the right mix of leadership is and who we want and who we need. I think what we’ve seen is a determination from all those involved to adapt and evolve, to understand that there are different ways of doing things, and through the disappointment and difficulties of the Ashes, to learn from that.

And so, you know, we’ve got a lot of people, yes, hurt by what went on during the Ashes, but equally determined to now put things right and looking forward to seeking revenge in 2027 (when Australia tour England,” Gould told a briefing at Lord’s.

"Sacking was part of the job and it wasn't necessarily the right thing. Moving people on can sometimes be the easy thing to do. That's not the route that we're going to take. It may not be the popular route, it may not be the easiest route, but I think it’s the right route,” Gould added.

Since taking over in 2022, McCullum has been in charge of England's aggressive "Bazball" style of red-ball cricket. However, his strategies have not produced a series victory over Australia or India, England's prime opponents.

(AFP inputs)