Former West Indies and Barbados batsman Philo Wallace has pointed to team captain Jason Holder’s lack of aggressive killer instinct as one of the issues that ailed the regional team in its recent loss to England.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the reasons why England came up short in their bid to claim the urn for the first time since 2015.
Leach ruled out
Trusted spinner Jack Leach has had terrible luck with injuries and illness in his career but a stress fracture in his lower back a couple of weeks before the series began was a particularly cruel blow. Up until that point, Leach had been an ever-present in the ‘Bazball’ era, taking three five-fors and a 10-wicket match haul in 13 Tests, emboldened by Ben Stokes’ more attacking leadership. Leach being ruled out – and a dearth of county spinners – meant England had to hastily revisit their plans for Australia.
Declaration on the opening day
England had Edgbaston rocking and Australia on the ropes, with Joe Root starting to unleash his full repertoire after reaching his century, but Stokes wanted a crack at the opposition before stumps. He called Root and Ollie Robinson in with England on 393 for eight, coughing up the chance of going well past 400 for four overs at David Warner and Usman Khawaja, both of whom survived until stumps. Even though England eked out a slender first-innings lead, the tense climax that later unfolded meant England really could have done with the extra runs to put Australia under the pump.
Dropped catches
Fielding has been England’s weak link, with questions over Jonny Bairstow’s return as wicketkeeper just 10 months after a horrific broken leg increasing with every missed chance – eight in total. In Birmingham, his fluffed stumping of Cameron Green and drop of Alex Carey cost England 78 runs, although the hosts were profligate in general. Root and Stokes were unable to hold on to tough chances off Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon respectively, the fine margins that proved the difference in Australia’s win.
Moeen’s finger
Leach’s absence led to Stokes sending out an SOS to the more mercurial Moeen Ali, who reversed his Test retirement. He has returned just six wickets at an average of 64.5 and been outshone by part-timer Joe Root at times. This was evident in the opener in Moeen’s first Test in nearly two years, where the increased workload caused a blister on his spinning finger that then burst, impinging his ability to land the ball in the right areas. He was unreliable in Australia’s run-chase, sending down 14 overs, one fewer than Root, who was much more dangerous only for Cummins and Lyon to get Australia home.
Happy hookers
At 188 for one in response to Australia’s 416 at Lord’s, England were cruising. Australia turned to a bouncer barrage in desperation on an unhelpful pitch and the hosts obliged. First Ollie Pope, then Ben Duckett – two short of a first Ashes century – and linchpin Joe Root all flapped uncertainly as England lurched to 222 for four. Harry Brook later fell into the trap as England coughed up a big first-innings lead, with suggestions – rejected by the dressing room – they had taken an attacking approach too far.
Carey outsmarts Bairstow
The stumping heard around the world. Bairstow ducked a bouncer from Green then, believing the ball to be dead, immediately strode down the wicket after scratching his back foot in his crease. However, Carey gathered the ball and immediately threw the poles down. Cummins upheld the appeal and while the incident awoke the beast inside Stokes, the Yorkshireman’s perfectly legal dismissal left the England captain with just bowlers for company as they fell short in the chase. The issue mushroomed to the extent that the Prime Ministers of both countries had their say over the ‘spirit of cricket’.
Rain
Defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s meant England needed to be note-perfect – and have a little fortune – to regain the urn. They rebounded at Headingley and were totally dominant at Old Trafford, bagging a 275-run first-innings lead to leave Australia shell-shocked. The writing looked to be on the wall when they slid to 113 for four at the end of day three but there was just a 30-over window over the weekend – with a Sunday washout – because of atrocious weather in Manchester. The idea that England should have declared earlier to give themselves more time to bowl out their opponents was arguably voided by them taking just one more scalp as Australia closed to within 61 with five wickets left.
Stokes slammed four fours and three sixes to lead England to 129-3 from just 19 overs of batting. The innings gave England two things, runs and time.
It made sure they got 85 overs to bowl at the West Indies, as well as a fair number of runs to act as a buffer in case they couldn’t get 10 wickets.
Speaking about the innings, West Indies coach, Phil Simmons, said he was not surprised, but he was disappointed because the West Indies got a chance to stop the carnage early out.
When Stokes was on 29, John Campbell, fielding at deep extra-cover, floored a chance off Shannon Gabriel, that may have changed the course of the game.
“The thing about him is that we know he can do that. And if you go out and drop him within six balls of the start, well then you’ve got problems then,” said Simmons.
“I think it was our doing that he got the opportunity to go on and show what he’s made of and we know what he’s made of.”
England, thanks to an all-round bowling performance would go on to win by 113 runs, bowling out the West Indies for 198, with Shamarh Brooks, 62, Jermaine Blackwood, 55, and Jason Holder, 35, the main contributors.
The #raisethebat Series for the Wisden Trophy now lies at 1-1 with the series decider on Friday at the same venue.
South Africa are 2-1 down heading into the fourth and final contest in Johannesburg, with Du Plessis having already been replaced as ODI captain by Quinton de Kock ahead of the one-day and Twenty20 matches against 50-over world champions England.
Du Plessis has also hinted the match at the Wanderers could prove to be his last in red-ball cricket on home soil, revealing he may quit after facing West Indies in July and August.
However, Du Plessis did not entertain queries over his plans, instead focusing on the Proteas' chances of salvaging a draw from the series.
"I'd like to, for my own personal reasons, have my focus specifically on this Test match," Du Plessis told reporters.
"I know there has been a lot spoken about all the other things and too much noise away from Test cricket and the Test team. I would like to speak about what is in front of us.
"This is about this Test match for me. I have not changed communication to you guys in one instant.
"I've said the same thing but the question keeps coming up. I am still committed to playing for South Africa. That hasn't changed. It's normal business as usual."
Du Plessis does not believe South Africa can dedicate any more practice to improving technically, but rather asked his team to display a new mindset.
"When you are deep in the series already, the extra time in the nets is not going to make that much difference," Du Plessis said.
"The challenge is how mentally strong we are. There's not enough time to change techniques. The secret weapon lies in how strong we can be emotionally and mentally.
"If you are mentally off it, teams that are on top of you just keep running with that momentum. But we know England are not going to say, 'here you go guys here's five or six wickets in this next session, let's play now', we have to earn it."
The South Africa captain will be 36 by the time of this year's tournament in Australia, which begins in October, and knows he may need to lighten the load.
Team-mate Vernon Philander, 34, is set to retire from international cricket after the ongoing four-Test series with England and that gave Du Plessis reason to reflect.
"I was the last one standing now with Vern [Vernon Philander] going from our generation," he said in a news conference.
"I said before that the T20 World Cup would be a crossroad in my career where I would see where I'm at.
"I think something will have to give from a format point of view. I don't know what this is yet.
"As a team probably if you look at the next year, Test cricket and T20 is probably our two main focus points. So possibly in the one-day game [we need to] start looking at guys who will get opportunities.
"I think it's important we do that more - get guys ready."
Du Plessis has played 62 Test matches, 143 ODIs and 44 T20 internationals ahead of the second five-day match with England, which starts on Friday.
England sealed a 3-1 series win by wrapping up a 191-run victory with a day to spare in the fourth and final Test at the Wanderers.
The match was far from a dream send-off for Philander, who having struggled with a hamstring injury ended with just 14 runs and two wickets as the Proteas lost a third straight contest
"I'd like to thank Vern for his services to the Proteas over the years," Du Plessis said after Philander was given a standing ovation and a guard of honour from his team-mates having been dismissed for 10 by man of the match Mark Wood.
"This team will miss him so, so much. We will sit with him tonight in the dressing room and share in the memories.
"Off the field he's been a champion guy and I'm sad this game wasn't the fairytale moment he deserves.
"It's a lot of effort and time away from family, the sacrifices you make for over 10 years. We're very thankful."
Du Plessis, who has hinted his own Test career may be nearing its end, acknowledged the Proteas had fallen short, particularly when it came close to their batting.
The skipper added: "Right through this series after that first game, England were better in every department than us.
"We did play well in that first game, but one Test doesn't make a summer. We didn't put enough runs on the board, though Rassie van der Dussen played well here and was unlucky not to get a great hundred.
"Anrich Nortje came through shining for us, we need pace to take the place of the Steyns and Morkels, and he has come through - the skill to land the ball in the same area is what has impressed me the most.
"Beuran Hendricks came in with five in his first Test match but from a batting point of view we weren't at our best and the scores reflect that."
Philander was keen to credit England after his Test career came to a close.
"Obviously not the way I wanted to end," he said.
"All credit to Joe Root and his team. We all fight hard on the park but at the end of the day we remain gentlemen.
"To my guys, thanks for making it such an honour for me to wear this badge in the last few years. It's been an honour and privilege to share a dressing room with so many greats.
"I think now the hard work starts, giving back to young talent is my mission in life, hopefully I can mentor a couple to play for this wonderful team one day."
The Proteas trail England 2-1 with one match remaining in Johannesburg, having been thrashed by an innings and 53 runs at St George's Park on Monday.
It has been rumoured skipper Du Plessis could end his Test career after the four-match series, despite previously describing the limited-overs tournament in Australia later this year as "a crossroad in my career".
The 35-year-old said in his post-match presentation he had "heard the rumours of a possible retirement" but "nothing has changed".
However, speaking at a news conference, he recognised the Wanderers could see his final home appearance in the longest format, as he will not consider quitting mid-series.
"I have committed until the T20 World Cup," Du Plessis said. "There isn't a lot of Test cricket left this year.
"One massive Test where we need everyone to be as strong as possible. Afterwards, there is quite a big gap.
"I have said before, there is an opportunity to release some of the captaincy. Two Test matches in the West Indies [in July], and the rest of the year is white-ball stuff.
"Most probably, after that, Test cricket will be something that won't see me. That's a decision I will make then. For me now, it's to be as strong as possible."
Dismissing the idea of quitting before the fourth Test, he said: "I don't think that's what's leadership is about.
"I felt that the team has needed a leader to stand up and guide the ship through a difficult time. If you leave the team when they need you most, that's not my style.
"I have been under pressure a few times and I've played my best innings under pressure. I can't leave the team when they need me most.
"We are in a transition but I can't do it forever. It has been chipping away at your character. For now, that's what we need. I think it will make it worse if I say I'm out."
South Africa will be without suspended strike bowler Kagiso Rabada when they attempt to draw the series, but Du Plessis is also concerned by his batting unit.
The Proteas never threatened to push England in the third Test, their biggest partnership of the second innings by far a 10th-wicket stand of 99 between Keshav Maharaj (71) and Dane Paterson (39 not out).
"[Missing Rabada] is a big frustration, disappointment," Du Plessis said. "He's our best bowler, and it's not the first time that we've lost him in what will be a crucial game for us.
"We're already a little bit light on experience in our Test unit. He will be a huge loss - that's just the cards that we've been dealt. We've got to make the best of it. There's no using excuses for that.
"We have to regroup, have some firm chats over the next few days about where we need to get better, and make sure we move forward. We've shown signs of that.
"With the bowling, our controlling of the rate has been something we've been good at. Kesh [Maharaj] had a five-for, which showed this wicket was made for the spinners. There were a lot of wickets taken by the spinners.
"The same thing is happening with the batting unit - we're not putting on big totals. If you look at England, it's just one or two guys that put their hands up and score big hundreds.
"One big partnership gives you that momentum that you need, so we need to be better."
Nat Sciver’s half-century proved to be in vain at the WACA as England lost to South Africa for the first-time in the 20-over tournament.
A three-wicket haul from Ayabonga Khaka and two apiece for Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp prevented Lisa Keightley’s side from building momentum with the bat.
And the Van Niekerk and Kapp pairing shone again at the crease, combining for 84 to lay the foundations for Chloe Tryon (12) and Du Preez (18 not out) to wrap up the win in a thrilling finish in Perth.
Amy Jones got England off to a blistering start with four boundaries in the first three overs but Kapp ensured her stint was short-lived as the opener was caught at mid-off for 23 by Tryon.
It didn’t take long for the Proteas to strike again as Danni Wyatt was dismissed for two off Khaka’s first ball of the tournament, Lizelle Lee with the diving catch at backward point.
England’s batting woes continued with the introduction of van Niekerk’s spin, the South Africa captain dismissing opposite number Heather Knight who tried to hit her over the top, only to be brilliantly caught by Shabnim Ismail at long-on.
The middle-order pairing of Sciver and Fran Wilson were under pressure to accelerate the innings but only managed to push on to 72 before Wilson was dismissed in similar style to Knight to give Van Niekerk figures of two for 20.
Sciver’s 50 helped England reach three figures but from then on the wickets rapidly fell, Katherine Brunt perishing before the top-scorer was bowled by Khaka.
It was two quick scalps for Khaka within the over as Tryon snaffled a sharp catch to dismiss Lauren Winfield, before Kapp returned with one last strike to trap Tammy Beaumont lbw to halt England at 123 for eight.
England made up for the late wicket crumble by inflicting damage onto their opponents early, Lizelle Lee perishing for four when lofting Anya Shrubsole straight to Winfield in the circle.
Kapp and Van Niekerk produced an 84-run partnership for the second wicket to keep the Proteas ticking along, but England managed to up the required rate.
First, Kapp was caught and bowled by Women’s T20 World Cup debutant Sarah Glenn for 38 before Beaumont denied van Niekerk a 50 when she caught the skipper off Ecclestone with four overs to play.
A late attack from Tryon made for a nervous ending at the WACA and England may have thought they were safe when she was bowled by Ecclestone’s last delivery.
But two big hits from Du Preez off Brunt sealed a maiden win for the Proteas over England in the tournament, marking the perfect start to their campaign in Group B.
Scores in brief
South Africa beat England by six wickets, WACA Ground, Perth
England 123-8, 20 overs (Nat Sciver 50; Ayabonga Khaka 3-25, Marizanne Kapp 2-19)
South Africa 127-4, 19.4 overs (Dane van Niekerk 46, Marizanne Kapp 38; Sophie Ecclestone 2-19)
Ben Duckett's second half-century of the match and another fine knock from Harry Brook put the tourists on top, leading by 281 runs at the end of day two with five second-innings wickets standing.
Pakistan began the day on 107-2 but crumbled once the third-wicket alliance between Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel came to an end. Babar was bowled for 75 by Ollie Robinson, with the team score on 142, and Shakeel soon followed for 63, fourth man down.
That wicket went to Jack Leach, with James Anderson taking a terrific catch at mid-on to give the England spinner a 100th Test scalp. It was Leach's second wicket of the innings and he went on to take 4-98 as England raced through the tail, knocking over Pakistan for 202.
Armed with a first-innings lead of 79, England had ample time to build on that advantage and set about their task knowing Abrar was the chief threat, after taking seven wickets on Friday.
He was at it again, removing three batters to become just the second Pakistan bowler to take a 10-wicket Test haul on debut and grabbing an early run-out to boot, with a direct hit removing Zak Crawley.
Crawley's opening partner Duckett made 79 before being bowled by an Abrar grubber, with Brook standing defiant on 74 at stumps as England ended the day on 202-5, with captain Ben Stokes 16 not out.
Abrar goes it alone again
He took the first seven wickets in England's first innings, before Zahid Mahmood mopped up the tail, and Abrar was the chief threat once more on Saturday. He was the only bowler to strike, ending the day with 3-81 after delivering 21 of the 49 overs in England's innings so far. The other dismissals were both run-outs.
Duckett chasing perfection
Stuart Broad, analysing for Sky Sports, described it as a "perfect day" for England. For Duckett, this tour has been a game-changer, coming six years after he last featured in the Test side.
Back-to-back fifties in this game should now fortify his position in the team. He made a century and a duck in England's win in the first Test, but this ranks as progress beyond that, as his highest aggregate runs haul in a Test to date (142). He would be unhappy with how he got out, though, so perhaps the day was not entirely "perfect".
England started confidently with the bat, but the loss of four wickets in three overs had the hosts in the ascendency at stumps, with Sajid ending the day 4-86.
Pakistan resumed at 259-5 but lost the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (41), Salman Ali Agha (31) and Sajid (two) early on, with Brydon Carse and Jack Leach doing the damage.
Leach would end with figures of 4-114 for the first innings, claiming the dismissal of Noman Ali (32) as England were set a target of 366 to chase.
Zak Crawley (27) fell after 12 overs having had two huge let-offs before being caught by Rizwan, then Ollie Pope (29) fell to Sajid, who would later demolish the rest of England's top and middle order.
Sajid grabbed the wicket of Joe Root (34) before striking out Duckett, who had notched 114 runs from his 129 deliveries in a composed showing at the crease.
However, Sajid was not finished there. Harry Brook, England's star from the first Test, was bowled out for nine, while Stokes was given his marching orders by Noman Ali, as the tourists lost four important wickets in just 18 balls.
Carse (two) and Jamie Smith (12) were able to halt the onslaught late on, and they will start day three at the crease with England trailing by 127 runs.
Data Debrief: Duckett outshone by Sajid
Duckett's knock of 114 was his fourth Test century and his second in Pakistan, with 23% of his runs so far coming from sweeps.
Only one England player since 2006 (Joe Root versus Sri Lanka in 2018) has scored more of his first 100 runs in a specific Test innings with the sweep shot.
But his display was overshadowed by Sajid's showing with the ball in hand. His spin proved difficult to manage on the Multan surface, and Pakistan will be hoping that he can continue that form on Thursday.
Bad light limited play on day one of the final test at The Oval on Friday, but Pope made good on the time allowed to smash 103 runs off as many deliveries.
Standing in to lead the team with Ben Stokes out injured, Pope had failed to make more than 17 runs in any of his first four innings in the series, being limited to single figures on three occasions.
Friday's ton, though, was his third in Tests this year, after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.
He is also the first batter in history to hit his first seven Test tons against seven different opponents, in Sri Lanka, West Indies, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.
Duckett, who himself fell short of his fourth red-ball century as he went for 86 runs off 79 balls, was delighted to see Pope quieten the doubters.
"Everyone is so happy for anyone's success in this dressing room, it's an incredible place to be," Duckett told Sky Sports.
"There was a lot of noise around Ollie. There shouldn't be but there has been and I know what it’s like at the top of the order and he's had a far better summer than I have.
"To block that out and score an incredible 100 was so good, you could see that from his emotions. We’re all extremely happy for him.
"People are paid to give their opinion, which is completely fair enough and I saw Pope say that last week.
"To go two games without a big score is not a long time and facing the new ball in England, I know how tricky it can be. For Pope to go out there and express himself at a ground that he loves, it's just credit to him."
Unbeaten on 103, Pope will return to the crease alongside Harry Brook (8) on Saturday, with England 221-3 as they chase a series whitewash.
Root needed 39 entering Wednesday's play in Multan to break Alastair Cook's record, and he surpassed that target with ease, ending the day unbeaten on 176 alongside Harry Brook.
In his 147th Test outing, Root drilled Aamir Jamal's delivery in the blistering heat to overtake Cook's previous record of 12,472 as England closed to within 64 runs of Pakistan on 492-3.
Duckett partnered Root for the historic moment and led the tributes at the end of play.
"He is extremely humble," Duckett, who recovered from a broken thumb to make 84, told Test Match Special. "It doesn't feel like you're sat around greatness.
"He's just hungry for runs every time he goes out bat for England. It's incredible to be in the same dressing room as him and long may it continue."
Root now has 12,578 runs in 146 matches, which has seen him bat in 268 innings in total, with his tally consisting of 35 centuries, 1,355 fours and 44 sixes.
The 33-year-old is up to fifth on the all-time list of run scorers across all nations, with only Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) ahead of him.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick added to Sky Sports: "We're lucky enough to sit and watch history being made as a man goes on to be the leading run scorer in his country.
"The way he goes about it, the work he puts in and continues to strive for greatness all the time. He's been superb and think will continue to be superb for a number of years yet."
Amid all the fanfare for Root, England will enter day four looking to create some history of their own.
The tourists have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead.
"The pitch is not doing a great deal at the moment and to be in a position where we can say we can get [a lead of] 150-200 is an incredible effort," Duckett added.
"The morning session will be important and if we can limit the damage, we can kick on in the afternoon."
Darren Bravo, 34, recently led the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to the CG United Super50 Cup title and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 416 runs in eight innings at an average of 83.20 with one hundred and three fifties.
His production proved to be not enough in the eyes of the selectors, however, as they opted to go with younger players who they have invested in with an eye on the 2027 World Cup, according to Haynes in a press conference on Monday.
“SMH!!! When will the BS stop?!” I’m not surprised with my brother’s non-selection, but with the recent changes in WI cricket management, I held onto a bit of hope for the better,” Bravo said in a statement on Instagram on Monday.
“This is NOT acceptable, and I just can’t make sense of it! So here are my burning questions: What’s the criteria for West Indies team selection? Surely, it can’t be solely based on performance?” he added.
The former all-rounder then went into the aforementioned stats that Darren bravo put together in the Super50 Cup before asking more questions.
“I usually stay away from these discussions but the mistreatment, disrespect, and dishonesty towards players over the years demand a voice. When will it stop? When will this BS actually stop?”
He then directed his ire toward Haynes, Sammy, and newly appointed director of cricket Miles Bascombe.
“To Mr. Desmond Haynes, your statement didn’t surprise me. It feels like another former player singing for his supper. I hoped for trust in the system with figures like you, Sammy, and the new director of cricket, but the system failed again,” he said.
Bravo ended by offering encouragement to his brother and congratulating some of the new and returning members of the squad.
“To my brother, this too shall pass. Keep your head up, stay focused and trust in the Almighty. And, as always, I extend my best wishes to the team and selected players. It’s refreshing to see (Kjorn) Ottley, (Sherfane) Rutherford and (Shane) Dowrich back in the mix. Good luck guys,” he ended.
India and England played out a thrilling fourth day in Birmingham on Monday, with the hosts 259-3 at stumps in pursuit of a record target of 378.
But Twitter posts following the day's play reported abuse within the stands at Edgbaston.
The claims were shared on the social media site by Azeem Rafiq, the former spin bowler who was at the centre of a racism scandal at Yorkshire, where he alleged institutional racism and an independent report upheld that he had been victim of "racial harassment and bullying".
"Disappointing to read," Rafiq wrote, to which Edgbaston's Twitter page replied: "We're incredible sorry to read this and do not condone this behaviour in anyway. We'll be investigating this ASAP."
The ECB published a short statement on its page, which read: "We are very concerned to hear reports of racist abuse at today's Test match.
"We are in contact with colleagues at Edgbaston who will investigate. There is no place for racism in cricket."
Play resumes in Birmingham on Tuesday morning, with a capacity crowd anticipated after tickets for a dramatic final day were given away for free.
The Windies were due to face England in matches at The Oval, Edgbaston and Lord's in a series beginning on June 4.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has decimated a cricket calendar in which England are also set to face Australia, Pakistan and Ireland.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday that a three-Test series without spectators is scheduled to start on July 8 at the Ageas Bowl.
Old Trafford will host the second and third Tests.
The venues have been selected from a group of four that submitted an interest, having had to demonstrate to the ECB board an ability to meet criteria surrounding biosecurity, medical screening-testing provision, footprint to enable social distancing and venue-cricket operations.
Edgbaston was picked as a contingency venue and will be utilised for additional training throughout July.
The Windies are due to arrive in England on June 9 and will use Old Trafford as their base for training and quarantining before travelling to the Ageas Bowl.
ECB director of events Steve Elworthy said: "Our main objective is to deliver a safe environment for all stakeholders including players, match officials, operational staff, essential venue staff, broadcasters and media.
"We are in daily dialogue with government and our medical team, who have been incredibly supportive during this period. These are our proposed dates and they remain subject to UK Government approval.
"We would like to thank Cricket West Indies for their co-operation and dedication in making this tour a reality, and we all look forward to the prospect of cricket returning in the coming weeks."
A decision on the scheduled series with Australia, Pakistan and Ireland will be made at a later date.
Joe Root's England side are due to start their bid to regain the urn at The Gabba on December 8, with the fifth and final Test scheduled to begin at Optus Stadium in Perth on January 18.
However, England players have raised concerns about the possibility of their families not being able to join them for the trip due to Australia's tight border controls during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the prospect of lengthy quarantines.
Multi-format players such as Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler face the prospect of four months away from home as the T20 World Cup takes place in the United Arab Emirates and Oman ahead of the Ashes.
Talks between the ECB and Cricket Australia are ongoing to reach a compromise and Harrison is optimistic that a full-strength England party will make the trip.
"We are working very closely with Cricket Australia (CA) and I had my latest conversation with my counterpart at CA yesterday," Harrison said. "We are speaking every few days on the matter.
"All the right conversations are happening at government level in Australia and we will be using our own diplomatic channels in the UK to ensure the view of the players and the ECB [is heard].
"This is not players asking for anything unreasonable – these are very reasonable requests that we are asking the Australian government to give some leniency, frankly.
"It's going to be important for us to ensure we can give comfort to players that their families are going to be able to be in Australia and that those conditions in which they are quarantined will be reasonable, enabling the players to be at their best in that Test series.
"It's a conversation that's going to take place over the next few weeks but I am very confident we will get to a place where we can fulfil our obligations to tour."
Mott's future has been called into question in the aftermath of England's failure to defend their T20 World Cup crown in the United States and West Indies, losing to India in the semi-finals.
Mott also oversaw England's calamitous 50-over World Cup campaign last year, as they lost six of their nine matches in India and crashed out in the group stage.
Reports earlier this week suggested the decision had already been made to dispense with Mott's services, with Eoin Morgan a contender to succeed him, though the former limited-overs captain has since said he has no interest in the role.
Asked by BBC Test Match Special if Mott's future had already been decided, Gould said: "That's not true. That's certainly not true.
"Matthew Mott is a really good guy and coach. He's got a great track record and it is the same with [captain] Jos [Buttler].
"We are always assessing options - that is what happens in high-performance sport, you are always assessing your options.
"You never want to be drawn into being given the dreaded vote of confidence or anything like that. Competitive sport always brings scrutiny and decisions.
"We'll constantly want to assess our options but we'll always want to do the right thing by the sport, the team and individuals."
George Floyd's death while in police custody in Minneapolis last month led to protests in the United States and far beyond.
Former England batsman Michael Carberry this week stated that cricket is "rife with racism" and "black people are not important to the structure of English cricket".
James Anderson, England's leading Test wicket-taker, said the national team will have conversations about what they can do to make a stand and be more active in combating racism.
The ECB says it will listen and learn from the Black Lives Matter movement and will act in a bid to break down barriers.
"We have listened carefully to those who have spoken out in recent weeks about their experiences of being black in cricket, sport and society," the governing body said in a statement.
"We admire them for being vocal on this crucial topic. We know that systemic racism spans institutions and sectors across the country and we know that our sport is not immune.
"We truly believe that cricket is a game for everyone but understand that sadly, barriers to its enjoyment exist for many communities. We have made progress in bringing cricket to more and more people around the country and it is our resolve to break down barriers and reform our structures everywhere across the game.
"In recent weeks we have reflected, and acknowledge that black players and fans, who have contributed so much to the history of our game, now feel disenfranchised. They do not feel as if cricket is a game for them. This must change.
"That is why it's so important that we continue to listen to the voices of those who have spoken out, to educate ourselves and face uncomfortable truths in order to create action internally and throughout the game, to ensure long-term change.
"We will now work to engage community leaders and black influencers within cricket so that we can review and evolve our existing inclusion and diversity work and specifically address the issues raised by the black community.
"From there, it is our overall desire to create demonstrable action, in order to deliver meaningful and long-term change that permeates every layer of the game."
England captain Joe Root and his deputy Jos Buttler are among the players who stated they were not ready to commit to the five-match series due to uncertainty over coronavirus restrictions.
Bubble fatigue and quarantine periods for the players' families are issues that have been raised, leading to doubts over whether the five-match Test series – due to start at The Gabba on December 8 – will go ahead.
The ECB on Friday confirmed England will tour Australia, providing "several critical conditions" are met before they board the plane.
"Over recent weeks we have made excellent progress in moving forward on the England men's Ashes Tour," an ECB statement said.
"To facilitate further progress and allow a squad to be selected, The ECB Board has met today and given its approval for the tour to go ahead.
"This decision is subject to several critical conditions being met before we travel.
"We look forward to the ongoing assistance from Cricket Australia in resolving these matters in the coming days."
Australia captain Tim Paine earlier stated he expects England to bring a "really strong" side to Australia, with only "one or two" players opting out of the tour.
"I'm hearing a lot of their players will commit," the wicketkeeper told SEN Radio.
"There might be one or two that don't, but I think we'll see a really strong England side come out here."
Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison last month warned England will not benefit from any "special deals" regarding quarantine rules when they arrive in the country.
Paine says he has spoken to the prime minister as Australia wait for confirmation that England will make the long journey to try to regain the urn.
"He was keen to find out what the sticking points might be from a player's perspective," said Paine of his conversations with Morrison.
"I shared a few text messages with him. He loves his cricket."
The Surrey County Cricket Club chair will leave his current post to take up a five-year term on September 1 after he was unanimously recommended by the ECB's nominations committee.
"I am immensely proud to become Chair of the ECB at what is a hugely important time for cricket," Thompson stated.
"Cricket has given me the chance to meet an incredibly diverse range of amazing people. Their passion, endeavour and love for the game is what I want to harness, to take our game forward, to new heights.
"With the Ashes on the horizon, [the] ICC Men's T20 World Cup in October and the recent successes in our red ball game, along with hosting the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2026 there is much ahead of us."
The ECB's top position has been vacant since Ian Watmore stood down last October, with Barry O'Brien, and then Darlow, holding the job on an interim basis.
In the intervening period, the men's red-ball and white-ball teams have both seen a change of leadership, with Ben Stokes taking charge of the Test team and Jos Buttler handed the armband in T20 and ODI matches.
The former will play South Africa in a three-match series later this month, while the latter will step up their World Cup preparations against Pakistan in September.