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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball from its inception, considering it reductive and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. Following the crushing defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with petrol. It could become his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. While McCullum says he ignore external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is more nuanced. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's fortress. While net practice are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has shown the patience or control that the otherworldly Australian paceman and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful display.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a switch to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a active No. 5 or 6, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.