🔗 Share this article

The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

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

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum claims to ignore external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Practice

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While nets are a chance to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that pre-series state games were not possible (and uncertain value, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

Match Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just 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 discipline that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an excellent, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – 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.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.