England's Ashes campaign was billed as the ultimate proof of concept for the Bazball era. Instead, it became one of the most humiliating performances by an English team in recent memory, culminating in a 4-1 series defeat that highlighted obvious deficiencies in preparation, tactics, and leadership.
Australia clinched the Ashes with power, winning the last Test by five wickets in Sydney on Thursday, January 8, to complete the series and reaffirm their dominance after leading 3-0 earlier in the series.
England failed to seize key moments. And after seeing the poor performance, ex-England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott delivered one of the most blistering critiques in years.
“England’s three wise men turned out to be the three stooges. Brendon McCullum, Rob Key, and Ben Stokes sold a lie for three years. McCullum’s philosophy is to do your own thing. Play without a care in the world. Nobody tells them off, there is no accountability, and nobody gets dropped, so they just keep doing the same daft things,” Boycott wrote for The Telegraph.
The boycott also highlighted some bullish behavior from the England leadership group. Brendon McCullum insisted on England's highly scrutinized preparation and tactics, while Ben Stokes rejected the advice of previous players, calling them "has-beens" before later apologizing.
In retrospect, McCullum acknowledged that they "haven't got everything right" and questioned whether their preparation strategy and timing between tests had been incorrect. Additionally, Stokes publicly supported McCullum and stated that he wanted to stay in charge of the team, highlighting the "challenge" of rebuilding performance.
However, Boycott stated that while he loved Brendon McCullum, he compared him to a gambler who refuses to admit that his ways are wrong and that they will come to fruition at some time.
“I like Brendon. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like him, and he has been a breath of fresh air for England cricket, which has been exciting and invigorating. But Brendon is a gambler who thinks he is always going to win his money back. That’s how casinos always win in the end. How many hopefuls start well but finish in tears? The reason is that they don’t know when to stop or change their routine.
I just think Brendon has taken us as far as he can, and we need someone else to take England to the next level. Brendon has said we will have to learn lessons. That really annoys me because he has had over three years to learn and adapt, but nothing has made him change his ways. Can a gambler change? I don’t think so. It is in the blood,” he wrote.
Many people criticized England for not warming up properly, which prevented players from adjusting to the pace, bounce, and conditions that Australia's quicks take advantage of.
ECB CEO Richard Gould acknowledged that the tour had been "deeply disappointing" and announced that a thorough evaluation was in progress in a rare post-series statement.
Gould stressed that lessons must be promptly learned with an eye on rebuilding and aiming for the 2027 Ashes, adding that the ECB would evaluate preparation, decision-making, and adaptability throughout the series.
(The Telegraph inputs)
