When England lose an Ashes series as comprehensively as they have this one, questions are inevitably going to be asked about what happens next. The situation may be changed by what occurs in the last two Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney, but it would be reasonable to assume that the narrative is not about to radically alter course. The series could yet end in a 5-0 whitewash. Here is what happened after England’s heaviest overseas defeats of the modern era, and what may happen this time. Botham attracted plenty of attention for his off-field behaviour in the 1985-86 seriesWest Indies 1985-86: lost 5-0West Indies were a truly great side who had already whitewashed England in England 18 months earlier, but in echoes of this winter’s debacle England’s off-field conduct also raised…

Source: The Times December 18, 2017 09:00 UTC