ECB to launch high-performance review for England matches, reveals Andrew Strauss

England were beaten 4-0 in their recent Ashes series in Australia, and then held a draw against West Indies in the first of the three-match Test series last week. "The results do not lie," Strauss told the BBC. "We have been number one in the world in Test cricket for 12 months in the last 42 years. Small incremental change isn't going to make the difference we need. We need to be bold and ambitious," he continued.

Further, Strauss, while speaking in Barbados where the second Test against West Indies is due to start on Wednesday, laid out the plans for the review, for which recommendations are due to be published in September with a view to potentially restructuring the English season from next year. 

"And I believe we're looking very strongly at being the best in the world in all formats. I think the knock-on effects, right the way through the game if the shop window is functioning well, are enormous, so as a game we need to get alignment behind that ambition."

Strauss left his role as managing director of the ECB in 2018 following the death of his wife Ruth, but returned to replace his successor Ashley Giles after the fallout from the disappointing Ashes series in Australia.