England unable to hold out as Australia retain the Ashes
‘Bazball as we knew it is in the skip – but McCullum has England future’
At this moment, managing director Rob Key appears to be the most at risk, primarily because he’s the easiest target for the higher-ups—ultimately ECB chief executive Richard Gould and chair Richard Thompson—to dismiss. I believe that as a trio, they share too many similarities. Historically, when England has excelled, they’ve had contrasting personalities, such as captain Michael Vaughan and coach Duncan Fletcher in 2005, or the strict Eoin Morgan paired with the laid-back Trevor Bayliss, who led them to victory in the 2019 World Cup. While Key is a genuinely nice person, he may need to reflect on whether he’s granted McCullum and Stokes too much freedom in their roles. Stokes excels as an on-field leader and McCullum possesses a fantastic coaching mentality, but they required some guidance regarding preparation and strategy. Instead of challenging that approach and ensuring that Stokes and McCullum remained accountable, Key approved it. There is a necessity for someone with a more traditional perspective to question proposals and monitor the ongoing changes, with Alec Stewart being a clear candidate considering his impressive contributions at Surrey. England boasts talented players like Zak Crawley, who played exceptionally well, scoring 85 yesterday after having difficulty for two Tests, and Jamie Smith. While he did play a poor shot on Sunday, he managed to score a commendable 60 in the second innings, after previously struggling. This simply highlights the importance of preparation. I half-jokingly remarked after the second Test in Brisbane that England would perform well in Adelaide since they had completed their two warm-ups. Look what transpired. Had they batted as they did here from their strong position in the second innings on day two of the series in Perth, they would have secured a victory, which could have led to a very different scenario. If Stokes and McCullum are indeed in a contemplative mood, they must also examine the atmosphere within their own dressing room. We aren’t privy to the dressing room dynamics, so we can’t truly ascertain what occurs, but do players feel comfortable enough to voice their opinions? Is anyone able to oppose the established model?
Published: 2025-12-21 08:53:00
source: www.bbc.com
