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The England head coach loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe anticipating how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the day-night Test was akin to trying to put out a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as national coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he claims to block out external noise, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their rivals and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his decision – the moment he wavered in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a opportunity to iron out technique, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence work that simply maintains the reactions quick.

Fixtures are tight such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, as shown by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Match practice alone prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems without a spearhead. None has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has seemingly failed to move beyond that point – the lack of an second phase to the original software that has seen form decline to an even record from their most recent matches.

Player Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two key chances as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso performance.

Going by McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a traditional match environment triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual floodlit Test now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the series win in New Zealand last year by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and picking a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is perfect, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.