🔗 Share this article

Brendon McCullum detested the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and perhaps anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It could become his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum 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 reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. And though net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and no guarantee, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

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 – harrowing as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to eradicate the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now comes in how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's comments after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.