🔗 Share this article

Brendon McCullum despised the label Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be weaponised down the line. Right now, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure 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 conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with uncertain value, as shown by 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 in general, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The frustration now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Player Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

Among them is Jamie Smith, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.