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Brendon McCullum loathed the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe anticipating how it might 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 Australian jokes.

However the coach has contributed to the problem either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his claim that, if anything, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It could become his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum claims to block out outside criticism, he will have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as always, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their rivals and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink Kookaburra ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he blinked in his conviction that minimal preparation is best. It meant a Test match's worth of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the intensity of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a opportunity to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly keeps the reflexes sharp.

Schedules are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience in general, as shown by a young player's unproductive season.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing hardens cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have thus far been found lacking. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have displayed.

The coach's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed solution to eradicate the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that point – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their last 30 Tests.

Player Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just delivered a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's words 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 Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar day-night format now out of the way.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his preferred position as a busy No. 5 or 6, handing him the gloves, and selecting a fresh face at first drop. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed pre-series optimism and pushed the team's entire approach into the harsh glare of scrutiny.