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“Certainly looking back on it now, it looks like a pretty good decision doesn’t it?”

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has announced that the national team’s Ashes triumph is proof that sacking former head coach Mickey Arthur and replacing him with Darren Lehmann was the right decision.

Arthur was fired just 16 days prior to the start of the last Ashes series in England, which Australia lost 3-0.

Sutherland also lauded Lehmann for having drastically turned around Australia’s fortunes in just a matter of months.

“I think Darren’s played a fantastic role,” Sutherland said when asked if Cricket Australia’s decision to terminate Arthur was the right one. “Certainly looking back on it now, it looks like a pretty good decision doesn’t it?”

Sutherland also admitted to being surprised by the positive impact Lehmann has had on the team in such a short period of time.

“We’ve obviously had reviews and had some difficult times over the last two or three years but the plan has always been to look for sustained success, not just to look to win the Ashes or win here or there,” Sutherland said. “It’s about sustained success and that’s what I love about Michael Clarke and what he is saying.

“His reaction is it’s great to win the Ashes, but we want to be number one and we want to stay there and that’s the focus and that’s very much part of the broader organisational strategy, but inside the team that is what they are thinking as well.”

Sutherland added that not many people would have predicted England being defeated within the first three Tests of the ongoing series, especially after they absolutely dominated Australia in the last Ashes encounter.

“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work, but the last four weeks these first three Test matches, the performances of the team have been absolutely outstanding,” he said. “A great team effort and we are very, very proud of them.

“I think we all thought that we were a good show here at home but to be 3-0 up with a couple to play is probably beyond expectations I think.”