🔗 Share this article

Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon down the line. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While he claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. While nets are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Based on McCullum's words in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's superior basics having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.