Former cricketer Jonathan Agnew has hit out at the England & Wales Cricket Board for the poor way that they handled the sacking of coach Peter Moores.

Moores was dismissed from his post following today's announcement that Andrew Strauss has been appointed as director of England cricket.

Reports of Moores's impending exit had been circulating in the media for a few days, and Agnew believes that the ECB need to get a firmer grip of their PR.

He told BBC Sport: "The administration really needs to take a long, hard look at itself and make a determined effort to improve its public relations. A few years ago, the ECB was being held up as the sporting organisation for others to look at and learn from.

"At the moment, what is going on, including the various comments from the incoming chairman Colin Graves, is embarrassing. England and the game in this country appear to be no further on from the post-Ashes mess in which Moores arrived a year ago.

"We are back to where we started, with ill-feeling, rancour and misjudged comments. This was supposed to be a fresh start."

Paul Farbrace, assistant to Moores, will be in charge of the side for their Test series against New Zealand later this month.