The England head coach loathed the term Bazball the moment it emerged, considering it reductive and perhaps anticipating how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.
However the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not improve.
In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum says he block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and lacking preparation.
The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in lighting conditions.
McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those five extra days were his decision – the instance he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure work that mainly keeps the reactions quick.
Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.
Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have so far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or discipline that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.
The coach's free-spirit outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, apt solution to eradicate the torpor that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that initial phase – an absence of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to an even record from their last 30 Tests.
One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.
Based on the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional match environment unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.
Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.
Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered expectations and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
