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Brendon McCullum detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, deeming it overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised in the future. Right now, trailing 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with great expectations, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if results do not improve.

In a way, one must admire his dedication to the philosophy. As much as McCullum says he ignore outside criticism, he must have been acutely aware of an England team increasingly characterised as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as always, is not so simple. England enjoy golf just as much during their scheduled breaks as their opponents and they train just as much. Prior to the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Debate of Preparation and Training

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those five extra days were his call – the instance he blinked in his conviction that less is more. It meant a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though net practice are a chance to refine skills, they can also become a safety blanket; zero consequence activity that mainly maintains the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are tight such that warm-up matches against state sides were not possible (with uncertain value, when you consider England playing three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise in general, evidenced by a young player's unproductive season.

Match Shortcomings and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they encounter, and it is in this area where England have thus far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. None has shown the persistence or control that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an excellent, apt remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now stems from how it has seemingly not evolved past that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen results decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Spotlight and Selection Decisions

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

Based on McCullum's words after the match, England appear set to persist with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his top form, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by shifting Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the gloves, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could fulfil a comparable function to Moeen Ali in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, however Australia's superior basics having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.