OK, so the Ashes was a massive disappointment for everyone connected with English cricket. I felt especially sorry for the many thousands of supporters who had saved long and hard for the trip, only for England to fall so far short of expectations. Success can never be guaranteed, of course, but the players should have been properly prepared for the series. I think by now everyone accepts that they were not.

So, we await this summer with great interest. The same management structure remains in place, but surely with the knowledge that things have to change. Bazball was wonderful for 18 months, lifting English cricket from the doldrums. But it was unsustainable, and good teams soon worked England out.

Thankfully, our flying adventure in Australia proved a welcome distraction. It really was the trip of a lifetime, visiting parts of the outback that are only accessible by light aircraft. We raised more than £50,000 for Angel Flight, and I will post some video here of the extraordinary scenery we flew over.

In the meantime, I am busily writing a book focusing on the ten major cricket stories I covered while BBC Cricket Correspondent. The downfall of Hansie Cronje, the KP drama, Allan Stanford, and many others: I experienced them all at first hand. It has been great fun reliving the dramas and the many side issues that always accompany the big events.