Where do England go from here

The question of why England aren't producing enough top professionals has dominated headlines for years and will crop up again in June. But that question has been limited to the national football side who struggle against technically superior players. The same question could be asked of the cricket team who have 18 first-class counties yet rarely find themselves at the top of the world rankings or challenging for World Cups.

England's demise in Australia is in many ways a one-off, a series so horrible and dispiriting that it will prevent me feeling optimistic about England's chances in a Test series for a long time.

The reasons for this horror show are hard to pinpoint and even the best judges are struggling to find answers. What seems clear is that new players need to be brought in, but very few youngsters tend to come in and do well straight away which is why I don't think there should be a massive introduction of so many at once. Ben Stokes, Steven Finn (when his form is back) and Gary Ballance seem ready to take their place but others like Scott Borthwick and Chris Jordan are unlikely to be ready yet.

Here are some potential reasons for why England have become limp Down Under and who could come in this summer to turn things around.

Coaching

When England won in Australia in 2010/11 a lot was said about how well England had prepared and the attention to detail that was put in. Now it seems that the opposite is true, that England are being coached to death and are unable to express themselves while Australia have been unleashed under Darren Lehmann. It was not so long ago that under Mickey Arthur Australia's players were supposedly jumping at shadows, but now they are aggressive and confident. Perhaps England could find a better balance which sees proper planning but also some leeway on 80 page diet plans.

Whether Andy Flower is that man is hard to say from the outside, but it seems wrong that he has been guaranteed his job until 2015 before a review has taken place. Few players have come in under his reign and improved and the next few years will require nurturing of some young players. And suggestions that he has fallen out with Kevin Pietersen will only complicate matters. If he were to be replaced then a man who knows the county game well would be the ideal replacement as England need to unearth new stars.

Captain

Mark Butcher made the point that after 100 Tests you're unlikely to change that much, which means Cook's style of captaincy is unlikely to shift. The England captaincy seems to drain its incumbents far more than any other country with form dropping quickly which is worrying when you consider that England's biggest successes in recent years were often based on his big runs at the top of the order.

It's hard to see who could come in to replace Cook, but there are two options to be put forward: Ian Bell is somebody who always seems at ease with his game, even if he isn't making runs. He is less likely to suffer in the same way as Cook who constantly looks to be fighting his technique. Bell also speaks a lot about wanting responsibility. He wants that number three spot and he wants to make big runs to win matches for his side. Also, it's said that at Warwickshire he reads the game well. Perhaps giving him that number three spot and the captaincy might kick him on again.

The other option is bringing in a county pro to take the realms like Mike Brearley famously did. But the possible candidates don't offer much. Off the top of the head there is Rob Key, James Tredwell, Ed Joyce, Andrew Gale, possibly a wicket-keeper like James Foster or Chris Read, or even Paul Collingwood. Somebody along those lines would ease the burden on senior players like Cook or Bell, but forming a relationship with the head coach and planning long-term becomes difficult.

Scheduling

How much scheduling played its part is unknown, but it's harder to find sympathy when you consider Australia's equally tough schedule this year. It still remains an issue, though, and even resting players during ODIs does not seem to be enough. Compare England with South Africa who tend to have long gaps between series, and you can see why their players are more consistent. And that's with England's players not having a full stint at the IPL. At least there will be around half a season of Championship fixtures before the first Test this summer for the best players to find form.

Batting

An England team that has gone almost a year without making 400 runs in an innings clearly has a problem. In the past, a top three of Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott seemed to make big scores, but with Strauss gone, Trott having to be left out the team and Cook struggling, the rest of the batting bar Ian Bell during the home Ashes has failed miserably.

Not only can England not make runs, they bat like they're facing Murali and Shane Warne on uncovered pitches. The go-slow approach does not sound like it's meant to be a deliberate ploy, but it keeps happening. Batting coach Graham Gooch seems to be failing at his job, even though he is not the one in the middle. Individual batsmen have people they trust to help them with their game, like Pietersen who uses Surrey head coach Graham Ford. For that reason, it's hard to know how much Gooch should be blamed.

Pietersen is an obvious example of someone who is struggling to pace an innings, either playing high-risk shots or none at all. The only person this series to play good, aggressive cricket has been new arrival Stokes. For whatever reason, that is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Another noticeable theme is how England succumb to raw pace and mystery spin whenever they meet them. Neither is common in the county game which needs to be addressed, because at the minute it is not proving a learning place for the toughest challenges which await.

Even worse, the batting stocks look exceedingly bare and there are few players who look ready to come straight in. The obvious two names are Sam Robson and James Taylor who should both fancy their chances of being included soon.

Bowling

England seem to have a problem with their bowlers. Fast bowlers have their actions tinkered with and unorthodox spinners are discouraged. For the former see James Anderson and Steven Finn, for the latter see Maurice Holmes, a young spinner who bowled like Murali and impressed some of the game's biggest names before the ECB discouraged counties from taking a chance on him. A fantastic read this for anybody interested and a real insight as to why England never produce top mystery spinners http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/nov/06/maurice-holmes-english-murali-spin

Spin bowling is a real problem here and winning Tests in the sub-continent rely a lot on the tweakers. Simon Kerrigan has potential and so does Borthwick, although leg spin is incredibly difficult to master. For this summer, it might be worth sticking with Monty, or a reliable all-round cricketer like Tredwell. As Graeme Swann showed, it can sometimes take a long-time for spinners to learn their game well enough for Test cricket.

A final word as well on the fast bowling. Australia showed that bowling dry is the best way to bowl sides out. England also showed that at times this series. They should continue to do so as well as bringing in an X-Factor bowler like Finn/Tymal Mills.

2014

This summer gives England's batsmen a chance to score runs against two of the weakest bowling attacks in world cricket. That is not to say Sri Lanka and India won't pose a challenge (India especially) but that a confident England side at home should definitely be winning.

It's time for England to make sure they have the right coach and captain and slowly introduce some exciting youngsters who have the fight to play in tough conditions.

Barring injuries or surprise retirements, here are the players to look out for:

Openers

Alastair Cook - Will almost certainly remain as captain and has fond memories of batting against India, although he has struggled in English conditions

Joe Root - Almost certain to be back and opening the innings

Sam Robson - I said after Trott went home that they should have called him in. After a prolific 2013 now might be his time

Michael Carberry - An aggressive batsman who was becalmed in Australia. Provided plenty of starts but then stalled. The cry for youth will mean he needs to score big runs to get another go

Varun Chopra - A regular for the England Lions and a consistent scorer who has also done well playing in Sri Lanka. Has not been given a senior appearance and will have to start extremely well to force his way in

Middle order 

Ian Bell - Looked to be entering his prime years after the summer's Ashes but has had another set-back in a hit-and-miss career. Regardless, he is a certainty

Kevin Pietersen - There is always talk of retirement from first-class cricket for KP but he recently insisted that is not going to happen. Even with all the criticism he's received it's hard to see how he won't be batting at 4, but in a team lacking senior players he will need to score more consistenly

Jonathan Trott - The great unknown, but if he can return to the crease in a healthy state then England would love to have him back in

Gary Ballance - Was tipped to play at Adelaide before England opted for five bowlers which meant Stokes got his chance. Looks ready to be given his chance now

Ben Stokes - Another certainty to play after proving he has the temperament for the hardest form of the game

James Taylor - Was next in line last summer but was not called to Australia which shows the selectors are not convinced despite a productive county season. His game looks limited and prone to slow scoring, but he likes to bat long and can force his way in with big runs

Moeen Ali - Some talk has surrounded the Worcestershire man becoming England's spinner but like Samit Patel it's unlikely he is good enough as a batsman or bowler

Wicket-keepers

Matt Prior - With no international cricket until the summer, a refreshed Prior at 31 could have many years left at the highest level. A prolonged stint at county level before the Sri Lanka series will hopefully give him time to rediscover his best form which made him so valuable

Jonny Bairstow - Clearly has technical problems and touring the last two winters without playing much cannot have helped. Definitely a player who needs time away from the spotlight

Jos Buttler - Will hopefully do well as Lancashire's new keeper. A powerful hitter and normally calm under pressure, Buttler is a natural heir to Prior should he show he can score consistently in the longer format

Fast bowlers

James Anderson - Hasn't got his bunny Tendulkar to bowl at but will continue to lead the attack. In helpful conditions he is still excellent

Stuart Broad - Not enough praise was given to Broad for his bowling Down Under considering the pressure he was under and the little rest in between innings as the batsmen crumbled. Has finally emerged as a star bowler in all conditions

Tim Bresnan - When fit he remains a good all-round cricketer and provides control, allowing the faster men to steam in and not worry about runs

Steven Finn - England's two biggest aims should be to bring through a spinner and get this man back on form. Bowls differently to Mitchell Johnson but if he had been firing then the Australian tail might have been blown away and the series could have looked a lot different

Boyd Rankin - A horror Test at Sydney where even his pace seemed short of what was promised. Wickets for Warwickshire will keep him in the mix though

Graham Onions - He may have been ineffectual in Australia, but surely England would not have waited until the last Test to get an lbw with him in the side. Should be knocking on the door for selection and with England's next two tours in the West Indies and South Africa, there is no reason he can't take consistent wickets for them

Spinners

Monty Panesar - It looks like the England management are losing faith in Monty, but he remains the most threatening spinner they have

Scott Borthwick - Over-promoted but seems to like the big occasions which is important. A promising long-term option and another, like Finn, who can run through the lower order which is an under-valued skill

James Tredwell - Reliable and solid which makes him a captain's dream. Had a bad 2013 county season but could be the stop-gap instead of Monty

Simon Kerrigan - Still the most promising spin bowler in the country despite his horror show against Australia. A low-key series against Sri Lanka - albeit good players of spin - might be the time to let him settle into the side

Up-and-coming/outside bets

Alex Lees - Another young Yorkshireman who is tipped to do well. A 275* in his debut season suggests talent but at 20 is surely too young

Luke Wells - Has batted at the top order for Sussex in division one which bodes well. Needs more runs though

Shiv Thakor - Another top prospect and can bowl. Will likely need to step up a division to interest the selectors

James Vince - The classy player finally stepped up by averaging 61 for Hampshire last season with a strike-rate of 64. Him and Bell at the crease together in full-flow could be batting porn

Ben Foakes - A long-term wicket-keeping hopeful but sits behind Foster at Essex

Stuart Meaker - Very fast, well-built and reverse-swings the ball. Expensive, but a wicket-taker although has suffered with injury. Was interesting to read that coaches at Loughborough were pleased they had brought his speed down which seems bizarre if true

Tymal Mills - Has peppered England's batsmen in a warm-up match and in the nets but has only played 18 first-class matches. A bowling line-up of him, Finn, Meaker, Stokes and Broad would be unbelievably rapid

Keith Barker - A left-arm bowler with a good first-class record and very useful with the bat

Chris Jordan - Seemed to come of age at Sussex last season and was rewarded with a place in the ODI team. Another fast-bowler who can bat but has to back up his 59 wickets from the summer 

Ollie Rayner - Doesn't get much mention but took 41 wickets at an average under 24 for Middlesex last summer and is also decent with the bat. A tall off-spinner who at 28 should know his game

Jamie Overton - Tipped by Bumble to tour Australia, the 19-year-old looks a great prospect

Adil Rashid - I naively predicted years ago he could be an England all-rounder but like many leg-spinners before him he has struggled to kick on and was dropped from his county Yorkshire. A genuine all-rounder who scored well with the bat last summer, at 25 he has time on his side to prove me right for once. As a big spinner of the ball there is always hope

Chris Woakes - Discarded by many after one bad Test, Woakes could prove a reliable fourth seamer in the mould of Bresnan. Has a fabulous first-class record and is a shade under 25 so has many years left

James Harris - Made the move to Middlesex last summer after being courted by the biggest counties but failed to shine. Seems to have been around for years but is only 23 and can improve next season

Reece Topley - Young and very tall left-armer who has been tipped to do well for a few years. Is only 19 and has time to develop

David Willey - One of the stars of last summer, mainly for his hat-trick in the Twenty20 final alongside a 19-ball 50 and some sledging of Jade Dernbach. Good left-armers are highly rated and he has put his name near the top of that list

My team for the summer

1. Cook
2. Carberry/Root (depends on early season form)
3. Bell
4. Pietersen
5. Ballance
6. Stokes
7. Prior (assuming he gets form back)
8. Bresnan
9. Broad
10. Anderson
11. Panesar

Carberry should not be discounted because of his age and he looked better than Root who might find it easier getting consistent runs in county cricket. Robson should also be in the mix.

Bowling wise, with Stokes and Broad as strike-bowlers England will need a reliable stock-bowler and a fully-fit Bresnan provides that. They also need a tail who can score runs. For the summer, I would persevere with Monty while Kerrigan and Borthwick get themselves ready to come in.

All-in-all, England have plenty of fast-bowling options to interest them and if Prior recovers his form they have a world-class wicket-keeper. Batting and spin-bowling wise, however, should be a concern.