text: English cricket’s new bosses flexed their muscles when Paul Downton paid the price for a humiliating World Cup by being sacked as managing director. Downton was fired by new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison, in conjunction with chairman-elect Colin Graves, after a ring-round to each of the 14 members of the governing body’s management board ahead of their spring meeting today. The decision to sack a man who has endured a traumatic 14 months since succeeding Hugh Morris after England’s Ashes whitewash was unanimous, with one board member saying Downton was just ‘too accident prone’. Paul Downton has left his role as managing director of England and Wales Cricket Board . Downton leaves his role as ECB managing director following England's shameful performance at World Cup . It was Downton who took the huge call to sack Kevin Pietersen and then re-appointed Peter Moores, calling him ‘the outstanding coach of his generation’. He also oversaw the sacking of Alastair Cook as one-day captain. Former England captain Michael Vaughan immediately said he would like to speak to the ECB about the newly created job of director of England cricket and Andrew Strauss is another possible candidate. Ultimately it was England’s failure to negotiate the first round of the World Cup after an embarrassing defeat by Bangladesh and crushing reverses against Australia and New Zealand, coupled with disenchantment at their management style from many supporters, that did for former England and Middlesex wicketkeeper-batsman Downton. ‘The England Cricket Department needs to deliver performance at the highest level and our structure needs to be accountable for reaching the standards we aspire to,’ said Harrison in an ECB statement. ‘The new role we are putting in place will deliver an environment where world-class performance is at the heart of everything we do.’ Michael Vaughan (left) immediately threw his hat in the ring to replace the departed Downton . Vaughan's successor as England captain, Andrew Strauss (centre), is also thought to be a contender . That new role will be director of England cricket, a subtle but crucial change of title which will take the business aspect of the role away from the new man and effectively make him a supremo and, possibly, head selector. That makes James Whitaker, now the national selector, extremely vulnerable even though England won the last three Tests they played last summer and he could leave as soon as today’s board meeting at Lord’s. Yet Harrison played down any suggestion that this makes Moores, still with much to prove in his second coming as England coach, more vulnerable and that the door could now be nudged further ajar for the return of Pietersen, who has rejoined Surrey after being apparently encouraged by Graves. ‘This doesn’t impact on Peter Moores’ position at all,’ Harrison said later on Sky. ‘This is with respect to delivering an environment for the future.’ Downton's job description has been abolished as a result following England's dismal World Cup showing . England selector James Whitaker (left) and former managing director Downton during a nets session . Moores (from left to right), Downton and England captain Alastair Cook during the press conference . OCTOBER 2013 . Downton, a former England wicketkeeper, is appointed managing sirector of England and Wales Cricket Board, with his position taking effect from February 1, 2014. FEBRUARY 2014 . After the Ashes whitewash, Kevin Pietersen and head coach Andy Flower are sacked. After days of silence, the official line on Pietersen’s dismissal is that the ECB wanted to ‘create a culture’ in which captain Alastair Cook had ‘the full support of all players’. MARCH 2014 . England suffer a humiliating 45-run defeat to Holland in the World T20. Ravi Bopara top-scored for England with just 18. APRIL 2014 . Downton appoints Peter Moores, who had spent the previous four seasons as head coach at Lancashire, for a second spell as England head coach. MAY 2014 . Downton and the ECB issue an apology to Pietersen for claiming he appeared ‘disinterested’ and ‘distracted’ during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. JUNE 2014 . England lose a Test series at home to Sri Lanka. The south Asian side had previously won on English soil in 1998 — in a one-off Test match. JULY-AUG 2014 . England lose the second Test against India, but come back to win the home series 3-1. In the fifth Test, England inflict upon India their third heaviest defeat in history. DECEMBER 2014 . Cook is sacked as one-day captain and replaced by Eoin Morgan, marking the end of a sorry year for England in which they won just 18 of their 48 matches across all formats. FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015 . England endure a dreadful World Cup campaign, failing to advance from the group stage and finishing behind Bangladesh, who sealed their exit with a 15-run victory. APRIL 2015 . Downton departs as ECB managing director. The ECB are to create a new role of ‘director of England Cricket’ ahead of the Ashes series.
target: Paul Downton loses job as England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director of cricket after a little more than a year in the job .
  Chief executive of ECB, Tom Harrison, announced changes to the structure .
  Downton's job description has been abolished as a result .
  Michael Vaughan immediately said he would like to speak to the ECB about the newly created job of director of England cricket .
  Fellow former skipper Andrew Strauss is another possible candidate .