Chairman of selectors David Graveney has defended England’s system of picking their side while on tour.
Coach Duncan Fletcher and the captain - on this occasion Andrew Flintoff - have sole control in selection of the team when they are overseas.
And Fletcher has been criticised for picking players perceived to be his personal favourites, highlighted by his decision to jettison wicketkeeper Chris Read in favour of Geraint Jones early on Down Under and his preference for spinner Ashley Giles ahead of Monty Panesar for the first two Tests.
England lost the Ashes yesterday with defeat in the Third Test which left them 3-0 down with only two to play. However, Graveney said the system was an established one and was not that different from how it worked for home series.
"Geoff Miller (a fellow selector), myself and Duncan present a squad of players to the captain and coach and it is their call as to who plays," said Graveney. "This protocol has been in place for a number of years. That is the way we do it.
"At home we present the 12 players but normally when it goes from 12 to 11 that tends to be the [decision of the] captain.
"It is quite justifiable that when you lose people will ask questions. I appreciate feelings are running high but I am not going to start criticising the coach and the captain. I’m not going to be divisive.
"A lot of speculation has been made about how the selectors get on with each other but I’m very happy with how the selectorial system works.
"Our system has worked for a period of time when we have had success."
Graveney dismissed reports a group of the experienced players within the team had some influence on the make-up of the team.
"Duncan has a small group of senior players which is just a talking shop - they are not selectors. There are only two selectors on tour, one is the coach, one is the captain."
The chairman of selectors also rejected any notion he would resign in the wake of the Ashes embarrassment.
"No thoughts of resignation. What happens in the future is not necessarily down to me it is down to others but I love doing the job," he added.
