London, March 24 -- English cricket bosses have defended the decision to back the leadership team that oversaw this winter's Ashes debacle, insisting the future of Brendon McCullum and Rob Key could not be settled by a football-style "popularity campaign".
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had promised a "thorough review" in the wake of the resounding 4-1 defeat Down Under, a tour plagued by criticisms of sloppy preparation, excessive drinking and selection mistakes.
Captain Ben Stokes was never likely to be removed but the spotlight was on head coach McCullum and managing director Key. However, the governing body has concluded evolution is preferable to swinging the axe.
A 4-0 loss in Australia four years earlier saw both predec...