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The England head coach despised the moniker Bazball since it was coined, viewing it as reductive and maybe foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of Australian jokes.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the crushing loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'over-prepared' prior to the day-night Test was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if results do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. While McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, 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, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even took the field in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a comfort zone; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides 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 dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's wasted summer.

On-Field Shortcomings and Strategic Stagnation

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the bat – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit outlook was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the initial philosophy that has seen results taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

Among them 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. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on the coach's comments after the match, England look likely to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a traditional Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, giving him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions over the weekend, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the harsh glare of scrutiny.