Red faces in the blue cap camp

What now for English cricket? After an Ashes series that started badly, with a defeat and the departure of troubled batsman Jonathan Trott, and culminated in a ignominious 286-run loss in less than three days, there have been calls for heads to roll.

However, a root and branch overhaul of the team seems unlikely, not least because captain Alastair Cook and team director Andrew Flower have refused to countenance the idea of resignation.

For many supporters this "steady as she goes" approach is tantamount to dereliction of duty, but realistically, the players are probably still the best available.