🔗 Share this article

The England head coach despised the label Bazball from its inception, deeming it reductive and maybe anticipating how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he wavered in his belief that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now comes in how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, the Australian keeper, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.