“This is really a long hangover from the Ashes. They sold themselves short there – there has obviously been continuing problems since then, with the loss to New Zealand and the off-field stories. Something had to give.”

Atherton added: “Because the Ashes went so badly, it left them [the England hierarchy] with very little wriggle room if things went wrong after that – and things went wrong against New Zealand.”

Nasser Hussain, another ex-England captain, called for the return of Andy Flower as test coach, with the Zimbabwean guiding England to three Ashes series wins between 2009-14 and taking the side to No 1 in the world.

“I love Flower’s approach to coaching – he was meticulous in everything that he did,” Hussain said.

“That is what has been lacking in this England test match side. I would do anything if I was [managing director] Rob Key and the ECB [English Cricket Board] to go and get Andy Flower.”

Michael Vaughan, England’s 2005 Ashes-winning skipper, said wholesale change was required within the red-ball set-up.

“Enough is enough, we need to move on,” he told the Stick to Cricket podcast.

“There is no way in a million years that this management group is maximising … and I hate using the word talent now because talent only takes you so far, and we keep saying there are a talented group of players – well, they keep losing.”