🔗 Share this article

The England head coach loathed the label Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be used as a weapon in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction 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. And though net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played 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, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful display.

Going by McCullum's comments after the match, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could fulfil a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, none of this is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the spotlight.