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The England head coach despised the label Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it could 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 mockery from Australia.

But McCullum has contributed to the problem either. After the gut-wrenching loss at the Gabba, his claim that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' before the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as national coach if performances do not improve.

On one level, one must admire his commitment to the bit. As much as he says he block out outside criticism, he must have been all too aware of an England team often described as freewheeling 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 practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, logging five days compared to Australia's three, given their limited experience to the pink ball and the changes in seeing conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "excessively ready" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his conviction that less is more. It meant a Test match's worth of focus was used up before they even took the field in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. While net practice are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that simply keeps the reflexes sharp.

Fixtures are congested such that warm-up matches against state sides were unavailable (with no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the whitewash in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the disregard of county championship cricket as a valuable experience more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Strategic Stagnation

Match practice alone hardens cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far been found lacking. The issue is not just with the batting – harrowing as some of the decision-making has been – but an bowling attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his teammates have delivered.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was liberating during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that preceded it. The disappointment now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that point – an absence of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form decline to 14 wins and 14 losses from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

Among them is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being constantly tested on each side of the bat and missed two key chances with the gloves. It probably does not help when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just produced a virtuoso display.

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 switch to a more familiar match environment unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unfamiliar floodlit Test now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand last year by moving the batsman down to his more natural home as a active middle order player, giving him the gloves, and selecting a new No 3. A young contender made some runs for the Lions recently, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a similar role to Moeen Ali in 2023.

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