Steve Harmison has claimed England's recent success under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will "quickly got out of the window" if they fail to regain the Ashes next summer.
Since taking charge of England's Test team earlier this year, Stokes and McCullum have masterminded a stunning turnaround in fortunes. A team which had triumphed in just one of their last 17 Tests has now won nine of ten, ending the year by becoming the first side to ever whitewash Pakistan in Pakistan.
They have enjoyed thumping wins over World Test Champions New Zealand, India, South Africa and Pakistan. In fact, the only other member of the ICC's top six ranked Test teams that England have not smashed under Stokes and McCullum is Australia.
They will get their opportunity to try and regain the Ashes next year and, while England have not won a series since 2015, Australia have also not reigned supreme at an away Ashes series since 2001.
And despite England's recent success playing 'Bazball', an ultra-positive brand of cricket coined after McCullum's nickname, Harmison believes none of that will matter if they end up getting beaten by Australia next year.
"This will all quickly go out of the window if you lose the Ashes," Harmison said on talkSPORT. "You're judged on what happens in the Ashes. You've got to give yourself the best chance [to beat Australia] and they've given themselves the best chance.
"Less than a year ago [when McCullum and Stokes took charge], our cricket was a shambles, apparently. We didn't have any fast bowlers, we didn't have any spinners, we didn't have any batters who could get runs in Test match cricket.
"We were an absolute shambles according to the world. County cricket was not fit for purpose, the Dukes ball was a waste of time because it does far too much... all these things were thrown at us.
"McCullum and Stokes are throwing all of that out the window. We are a good side, we have got good players, our cricket is fit for purpose. We just needed a different mindset. But they'll be judged when the Ashes comes around."
