Ken Schofield to head Ashes review

Nasser Hussain will be part of the ECB review committee © Getty Images Enlarge

The ECB have turned to the world of golf as they search for answers as to where their disastrous Ashes tour went wrong. Ken Schofield, the former executive director of the European Tour and a TV commentator, will chair the review committee charged with analysing England's tour of Australia.

Schofield will be joined by former captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, plus Angus Fraser and two others yet to be named.

"I've been appointed as an independent voice and I'll do the job without fear or favour. We have access to all areas and we know we have to think quickly on our feet," Schofield told The Guardian. "My passion for cricket is almost as strong as it is for golf and I'm honoured to have been asked."

Nasser Hussain, commentating on Sky Sports, said: "I received a phone call from David Collier [ECB chief executive] and asked to help. I don't know much about it yet, but it won't just be about the Ashes. That will be a major part, but we will also look at what has happened over the past four years, where it has gone right and wrong, and how we can make sure England perform better next time."

It was always the ECB's aim to have a neutral chairman to the committee and Schofield has a strong pedigree in turning round a team's ailing fortunes. He played a major role with the European Ryder Cup team after they'd handed the trophy back to the United States in 1999. Since that time Europe has enjoyed an impressive run with the Ryder Cup.

"I liken England's current loss of the Ashes to what happened when the Americans won back the Ryder Cup in 1999," said Schofield. "They had lost the trophy two matches in a row and just had to win it back. I think we saw a similar thing during the Ashes, where the Australians regrouped impressively."