ECB: Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth leading review 'seems incredible', says Damian Collins MP

MP Damian Collins says it "seems incredible" that Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth are among those taking part in the England and Wales Cricket Board's high performance review.

Both have been asked to help transform the fortunes of the England men's team.

But Brailsford came under scrutiny in the wake of the tribunal of ex-cycling medic doctor Richard Freeman.

And Ashworth's handling of racism allegations while with the Football Association was also scrutinised.

"It seems incredible that two men at the heart of two of the most significant investigations into failures of sports governance and athlete care should have been included in the ECB review," said Collins.

"Professional sport is demanding but we also need to protect what Dave Brailsford called the ethical line."

The ECB declined to respond to Collins' comments.

Last year, Freeman was found guilty of ordering banned testosterone in 2011 while he was chief doctor for British Cycling and Team Sky.

Brailsford, currently general manager of Ineos Grenadiers, worked for both at the time, when a 'mystery package' was also delivered to Freeman at the Criterium du Dauphine.

Collins chaired the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee's inquiry into 'Combatting Doping in Sport', including the 'jiffy bag' allegations, with Brailsford telling the committee in December 2016 that the package contained a legal decongestant, Fluimucil, for Sir Bradley Wiggins.

The committee's report, published in March 2018, concluded that "contrary to the testimony of Brailsford", Team Sky used drugs allowed under anti-doping rules to enhance performance instead of just for medical need.

"This does not constitute a violation of the Wada code, but it does cross the ethical line that David Brailsford says he himself drew for Team Sky," the report reads.

Team Sky and Wiggins both said they refute the claims, and a UK Anti-Doping investigation was unable to establish if Wiggins had received a decongestant or, as alleged, triamcinolone, which is banned in competition.

Former FA board member Dame Heather Rabbatts said that Ashworth's position as the FA's technical director was "untenable" after he appeared at a parliamentary inquiry over the handling of discrimination claims against former England women's coach Mark Sampson.

Ashworth led an internal inquiry into the case and told the team Sampson was innocent in 2017 before Sampson was later found to have made racially discriminatory comments towards players Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence, claims he denied.

Collins said in 2017 that Ashworth and the other three FA bosses who faced the parliamentary committee should consider resigning over the affair.

In September 2018, the FA confirmed that Ashworth had "resigned as technical director" to take up the same position at Premier League club Brighton.

The 51-year-old resigned from his Brighton role earlier this year and is set to become the new director of football at Premier League rivals Newcastle.