🔗 Share this article

Brendon McCullum detested the term Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the pink-ball match was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with petrol. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and lacking preparation.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his decision – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with uncertain value, when you consider England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has demonstrated the patience or control that the exceptional Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt solution to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is Jamie Smith, a talent, no question, 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.

Going by McCullum's words 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 Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now out of the way.

The alternative is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting the batsman down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe Will Jacks could fulfil a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

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