Matthew Hoggard has warned time is short for England to get their house in order for this summer's Ashes.
Hoggard, anticipating former dual Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss is about to be named the England and Wales Cricket Board's new director, is expecting some imminent "tough decisions" to try and whip Alastair Cook and Peter Moores' team into shape.
Under captain Cook and coach Moores, England lost the third Test in Barbados to come away from the Caribbean with only a drawn series - after new ECB chairman Colin Graves had made it abundantly clear victory was a non-negotiable starting point to his tenure.
Hoggard, an Ashes winner 10 years ago when England clinched the urn for the first time in a generation, is far from alone in the assumption that Strauss will be the first incumbent of a key new management role - after Michael Vaughan, captain back in 2005, withdrew his interest.
"If it is going to be Andrew Strauss, then he's got some tough decisions to make," said the former England seamer, who is participating in the 2015 series of Great Swim events on behalf of cricket-based charity Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB).
"I'm sure Colin Graves will be calling for some action to be taken."
Hoggard acknowledges no lack of effort, but senses something is awry nonetheless.
"The players are trying," he added.
"It's difficult to criticise - because you've been there - but every player needs to have a look at themselves and say 'Right, do I deserve to be in that team?'
"'If not, then I need to up my game. If yes, can I improve on my performance?'"
Moores' position is far from assured after just a year in the job, and Hoggard added: "It all stems on leadership from the coach.
"What's the coach saying to the players?
"How do they want to play their cricket? What brand of cricket are they playing? How're they preparing? Are they going into the game in the right frame of mind?
"They've all got the right talent - they've all got the right technique. It's now how you go out and perform on the pitch."
After the retirement of Jonathan Trott, England must find another alternative as opener alongside back-to-form Cook - and Hoggard is confident it will be his fellow Yorkshireman Adam Lyth, uncapped but part of the squad due to arrive home from the West Indies on Wednesday.
He said: "To come in and open against a good New Zealand attack in English conditions is going to be a tough baptism for him, but I'm sure Adam Lyth won't be fazed by it."
Hoggard cites the form of frontline seamer Stuart Broad as a pivotal factor, and believes too England must identify an out-and-out pace element of their attack to take on Australia.
"We need an injection of pace. Who is going to inject it for us?" he added.
"Is it going to be Steven Finn? Is it going to be a Mark Footitt? Is there somebody else out there? Is it Mr (Mark) Wood, who has gone to the West Indies tour?
"There's a lot of questions to be asked in a short period of time."
James Harris may not be the current solution for England, but the Middlesex seamer had all the answers in his team's 187-run LV= County Championship Division One victory over Durham at Lord's.
The 24-year-old Welshman took nine for 34 in the visitors' second-innings 71, and finished with match figures of 13 for 103.
Source: PA
