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The England head coach detested the label Bazball since it was coined, deeming it overly simplistic and maybe foreseeing how it could be weaponised in the future. Right now, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. Following the crushing loss at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if results do not take an upturn.

On one level, you almost have to admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as he says he ignore outside criticism, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling and underprepared.

The truth, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days to Australia's three, due to their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate 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 belief that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was used up before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a comfort zone; low-pressure activity that mainly maintains the reactions quick.

Schedules are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with 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 valuable experience more broadly, evidenced by Jacob Bethell's unproductive season.

Match Deficiencies and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area 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 otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's free-spirit approach was liberating during its initial year, an excellent, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – an absence of an second phase to the original software that has seen results taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Team Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a talent, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and has dropped two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on the coach's words 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 Test setting unleashes his top form, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact 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 picking a new No 3. Bethell made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps Will Jacks could perform a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, with Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and forced the team's entire approach into the spotlight.