As England comes to terms with another two years without the Ashes after only ten days of cricket, the England hierarchy have defended themselves while former players from both sides have suggested ways for the team to move forward.

The England Chairman of Selectors, David Graveney, once again pointed to the long list of injuries that the home side have suffered and the problems of losing captain Nasser Hussain, saying: "We needed to have our best team playing well against Australia. We didn't. Since Nasser was injured against Pakistan we have had four or five guys out. We need Nasser back as captain."

He also insisted: "We are heading in the right direction", and rejected calls to make wholesale changes to the squad: "There is no question of saying let's bring in younger guys. We do have players who are out of form, and Australia have exploited any technical weakness they have seen."

Referring to suggestions that England's two warhorses would now make way, he said: "Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart are major planks in the side," thus indicating that both will be retained for the remaining two Ashes Tests, at Headingley and The Oval.

Graveney's comments came as famous ex-players from both sides highlighted England's problems and called for new faces to come in. Geoffrey Boycott pointed to the home side's batting as a major factor in their defeats, writing in the Daily Telegraph: "No matter how excellent our bowling is, we don't bat well enough to make Australia take a second new ball, and without runs we are never in a position to win.

"So many people talk about batsmen being able to play shots. Our problem is that we cannot stay in. The first thing I look for in a good batsman is his ability to defend, because if you can't stay in, you can't make runs."

Ian Botham, another ex-England player who knows how it feels to taste Ashes success, said that now is the time for new blood: "I believe England should start building for the 2002/3 Ashes in Australia now. That means including a young wicketkeeper-batsman in their squad for the fourth Test at Headingley next week.

"Jamie Foster is one youngster who should be brought into the squad, and England must also consider Vikram Solanki, Usman Afzaal, Owais Shah and Durham's Nicky Peng."

However, David Gower urged caution in bringing in young players, pointing out that: "Potential replacements like Afzaal, Owais Shah and Jamie Foster would be facing a cock-a-hoop Australian attack on potentially the most bowler-friendly wicket at Leeds - a mind-blowing experience."

Steve Waugh's predecessor as Australian captain, Allan Border, claimed that England's players had already been through a mind-blowing experience, telling the Daily Mirror: "The players have scars that they can't overcome. It is obvious that while you Poms are capable of beating any other side in the world, there is a massive mental problem when facing Australia."

England coach Duncan Fletcher, the man behind England's improvement over the last eighteen months, agreed up to a point with Border's analysis, admitting: "If there is a whitewash, it will set us back quite a bit, I'd have to honest about that, after the good work we have done."

Nevertheless, Fletcher insisted that the England side could avert the dreaded 5-0 whitewash: "This side has shown it's got pride before. They (the players) want to come back and play with a lot of a pride and try and get a victory or two out of the next two Tests."

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