Rob Key

The reason we did it was because we put a huge amount of value on having a settled team going into the ashes.

Now we're at a new stage where it's like, right, okay, we need these players to become proper run scorers now.

You still want players who can put bowlers under pressure, all of that stuff.

But actually, you've got to go out there and you've got to turn 70s into big 150s, 200s, match-winning contributions, whatever it is.

So there's things like that.

The thing that we tried, as much as anything, probably at the start, was to create an environment that was relaxed.

We had so many English players turn up playing for England.

It's the biggest thing they've ever done.

And they had so much pressure to it.

So we tried to create an environment where you got away from the game, where you could relax, where you could actually not be thinking all the time about cricket.

Harry Brooke's been away for all but six days this year, or this winter.

So you're trying to create an environment that allows them the space to just get away from the game.

And probably it just flies too far one way.

But it doesn't mean that the flip has to become like a school teacher where you're like, right, you can't do this, you can't do that.

You've got to swing it into the middle.

So you're still ending up.

You're trying to create an environment where players can perform to their best, but they don't get burnt out.

They don't start thinking, I don't want to play for England.

We have an environment or an England team where players are giving up playing in the IPL for what could be a huge amount of money

to go and commit to English cricket.