Michael Vaughan lambasted the England team and stand-in captain Ollie Pope after the hosts lost the third and final Test to Sri Lanka at the Oval in devastating fashion. Sri Lanka won by eight wickets on day four, chasing 219 runs and led by Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten hundred.

According to Michael Vaughan, England became complacent and overconfident after winning five straight Tests in the summer, three of which were against the West Indies. The England cricket team began the summer with a three-match Test series victory over the West Indies.

They maintained their lead in the Test series against Sri Lanka by winning the first two games. Ollie Pope captained England in place of the injured Ben Stokes and led them well, despite scoring only one ton in the series.

Vaughan criticized England for being overly aggressive in both their batting and field placements during the third Test against Sri Lanka, which he termed as disrespectful to Test cricket and Sri Lanka. Vaughan noted that this technique will not be effective against powerful opponents such as India or Australia in the future.

"I felt that they disrespected Test cricket, and disrespected Sri Lanka in the third Test by being over-aggressive with both the bat and in their field placings. England have made a habit of becoming a bit complacent after a good period – I think of the start of the Ashes, or earlier this year in Rajkot – and I hope it serves as a wake-up call for the tougher Tests that lie in wait in 2025. There is no way they will get away with playing like this against India or Australia,” Vaughan wrote in his column for the Telegraph.

The former captain emphasized that England must be more disciplined, particularly in high-pressure situations. Michael Vaughan advised England to sustain their zest for winning Test matches. The former England cricketer argued that Test players should strive for consistent success.

"I would really encourage England never to lose the love of winning. Sitting in the dressing room after a Test win, whether it is in the Ashes away or against an average West Indies side or Sri Lanka, who are not as strong as they once were, in your own backyard, that is a very special feeling. You should be desperate for it every week as a Test cricketer," Vaughan added.

The next assignment for England will be three Tests against Pakistan in Pakistan.