'We'll go for the best man to win us back the Ashes'

After the astonishing collapse in Kingston, England’s cricket team have rarely been perceived to be at a lower ebb. The Daily Mail convened a meeting in Antigua with Hugh Morris, managing director of the ECB, and Geoff Miller, the national selector, to pick over the bones of English cricket.

There was plenty to discuss and neither Morris nor Miller held back: on the Indian Premier League, Kevin Pietersen, why even Fabio Capello could not sort out England’s cricketers and the man who yet might — John Buchanan, the most successful coach in the history of cricket... and an Aussie.

Miller: It depends how it fits into the tree. What would the manager’s role be, and would it take responsibility away from people who are working well at the moment? I would like to talk to Martin Johnson and Fabio Capello about how things are done in their sports, but I wouldn’t be in favour of an all-powerful manager, no. It is essential that the captain has a say in aspects on the field, that coaches control specific areas and that there is a national selector. If the manager took responsibility from the captain, it wouldn’t work.

Morris: I don’t believe the IPL had an impact on the way we batted in Jamaica. I see many positives in it.

Miller: It was nothing to do with getting bowled out for 51, but beyond that it is hard to gauge what effect there will be because it is our first time out there. After it has happened we’ll have concrete facts. What I would say is we’ve given the players the chance to make money, and we expect the same loyalty and passion in return. We would look at it again if we thought it was not working.