Thursday 14 December 2017 07:48, UK
ECB director Andrew Strauss will not be returning to England's Ashes tour after his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
Strauss had been scheduled to miss the third Test in Perth and return to the squad before the fourth match in Melbourne but he will now stay at home.
An ECB spokesperson said: "Andrew Strauss, Director of England cricket, will not return to The Ashes this winter.
"His wife, Ruth, has been diagnosed with cancer and is going through a series of medical tests before Christmas. His family need Andrew's full support at this time."
The former England captain has been director of England cricket since May 2015, taking on the management role nearly three years after ending his playing career after 100 Test appearances.
Strauss has spent much of the Ashes tour answering questions about England players' behaviour over a series of off-field incidents.
The bizarre Jonny Bairstow "welcome head-butt" incident occurred before the Test series had even started, and more recently the ECB fined and suspended Lions batsman Ben Duckett after an incident in a Perth bar.
England also travelled to Australia without all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is waiting to find out if he will be charged over an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September.
