Some of the Ashes criticism centered around the squad’s relationship with alcohol after their mid-series trip to Noosa.

It also emerged after the Ashes that white-ball captain Harry Brook had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during a trip to New Zealand last year.

Stokes said some criticism was “harsh and unneeded”, but “a lot of it was warranted”.

“A lot of it was almost put forward in a way that was a bit extreme, but when you look at it deep deep deep you agree with some of it,” he said.

“We have got ourselves to blame for a lot of it.

“If you can’t take that and aren’t willing to understand that and listen to a little bit of it, then we wouldn’t see any progression.”

Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key kept their jobs following an ECB review into the Ashes.

Stokes, who turns 35 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand on 4 June, said he did not consider standing down or retiring.

“I actually went the other way,” he said.

“It completely and utterly consumed me. I feel like I would be able to switch off for half an hour and then would get my iPad out and start making notes.

“If I got back and shut myself away, didn’t pay any interest and say ‘we will see what happens – I will let other people make decisions’, I think that is me subconsciously saying I don’t want this.

“How I was proved I am proper in this still.”