The Three Lions have their backs against the wall after losing the first two Ashes Tests.
It has not even taken 10 days of cricketing action for England to go 2-0 down in the Ashes series. The hosts have completely dominated the Three Lions in every department over the two Tests. At a time when head coach Brendon McCullum is being questioned left, right and centre, he would be relieved to know of a former Australian counterpart, who has come out in support of him.
Or not! Because Brendon McCullum seems to have completely shut himself out from the opinions of what the experts feel. The English cricket team and support staff are currently cooling off in Noosa, Queensland. This comes days after McCullum referred to the team being overprepared for the Test match after their second straight loss in the five-match series.
What started off as Bazball is being torn down to shreds by the Australians, one thread at a time. The England side, which boasted about preparing for this very Ashes series since months have suddenly struck turbulence of the highest frequency. It all started with Travis Head’s blistering knock in Perth, and was followed by Mitchell Starc’s all-round show in Brisbane. Suddenly, Brendon McCullum has questions to answer, everywhere to goes.
Amid all the drama, Steve O’Keefe has come out in support of Brendon McCullum – stating that the cricket board must persist with him. He spoke about the changes that the team needs to make in order to adapt to the conditions of Test cricket. But he also stated that if one looks at the overall numbers of Brendon McCullum as coach, he isn’t too bad either.
“If you remove the emotion and look at the numbers, he should stay. Under Joe Root and Chris Silverwood, England won just one of their last 17 Tests. With McCullum, they’re winning about 58%. And historically, no English side has travelled well in Australia since 2010-11. A lot of people think that he won’t survive this, but I’d stick with him”, said O’Keefe.
ALSO READ:
If the situation that the English team are in currently was to be described via a song, it feels as if ‘mountains to climb’ would be the perfect fit. After the drubbing in the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, the Englishmen have a lot to think about. As skipper Ben Stokes mentioned after the loss in the second Test, it is not the skill, but the mental aspect of things that the team needs to work on.
The fact that they have chosen to spend their time in Noosa ahead of the all-important clash on December 17 in Adelaide comes from what the management believes could be mental fatigue. Cricket can be as mental a game as a physical one. However, there are things England need to sort out on the cricketing front as well, and they need to sort them out quickly.
The Three Lions have not showcased any sign of fight in the two Tests played so far. Apart from the Joe Root ton in the second Test, the team looked completely clueless. The batters need to take more responsibility, and understand that defence needs to be trusted in the longest format of the game. The approach and intent can be aggressive and positive, but the situation needs to be kept in mind. Brendon McCullum needs to relook what Bazball really means.
He’s introduced a bold mindset, but change is needed. He has to adapt, listen more, and correct what’s clearly not working. A century of Test cricket shows you can’t keep repeating the same approach when you’re being dominated”, concluded the former Australian.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
