I don't say this lightly given the work he did for us at Surrey CCC, but after today's performance Richard Gould of the England & Wales Cricket Board is now to be known as Jockstrap.

Today's drivel spouting performance is as abject as I've seen from any senior management. And I've seen a hell of a lot.

Bazball is a cult. And a failing one.

England are seventh out of nine in the World Test Championship standings.

There are no buts here. White ball biffery doesn't matter (the ECB's demotion of the 50 over game shows that), it is Test Cricket that matters.

And despite the occasional wow moment, the table does not lie.

England are officially crap.

Richard Gould acted decisively to remove Chris Adams when Surrey were floundering. Why has he not acted the same way here?

Because Gould is a follower of the Bazball cult. And has said that tests against India and Australia are a "significant priority".

Winning the World Test Championship should be the sole priority.

You achieve that through hard work, respect for Test cricket, proper planning and preparation and playing proper cricket, aware of the context of the game, the series and the WTC.

If you're not interested in achieving that then make room for people who are.

Vish's piece for ESPNCricinfo is far more polite than I would be if I'd had to sit through that garbage earlier.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/no-change-is-all-change-as-ecb-opt-for-the-rinse-and-repeat-cycle-1528916

#Cricket #ECB #EnglandAndWalesCricketBoard #RichardGould #Jockstrap