“When we won the Investec Ashes in 2013, although it was 3-0 and our biggest margin of victory for 30-odd years, there was a bit of a murmur from the public and the media: ‘You won, but it wasn’t much fun’,” he said. “As a fan, when I watched [the Ashes] in 2005, you were glued to everything, with our four seamers bowling quick and Tres [Marcus Trescothick] setting off like a tracer ­bullet. There was a real connection with the fans, and I think we have the layout of a team who can do that again.”