 "England have failed to make an impact in the Ashes so far as they trail 2-0. Image: ICC/AFP/SkySports")
Australia are heading into the third Ashes Test with a strong 2-0 lead after clinical wins in Perth and Brisbane, leaving England searching for answers. The Ben Stokes-led side has so far failed to live up to expectations as their aggressive Bazball style continues to fall apart in tough Australian conditions.
Even with Australia captain Pat Cummins missing the first two Tests, and Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon unavailable, England have struggled to make any impact so far in the series.
Butcher questions England’s basics
Former England batter Mark Butcher gave an honest assessment of England’s batting struggles, saying that basic technique has been neglected for years in the name of “intent” and “aggression”.
“Technique has almost become a dirty word in English cricket over the last 10 years,” Butcher said. “People think it means you’re not ambitious, but you need good technique to use all the aggression in the world.”
“Cricket in Australia is very, very hard,” he said. “The surfaces make you repeat discipline over and over, and we fail to do that.”
Hussain: England not playing good cricket
Nasser Hussain was also disappointed with England’s performance, saying the debate around Bazball is irrelevant when the basics are missing.
“Whether you want to talk about ‘Bazball’ or the style of play, they are just not playing good enough cricket,” Hussain wrote in The Athletic. “Without Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon, you’d think England had a real chance. But they have still been outplayed.”
Vaughan slams England’s system
Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the selection process and the habit of fast-tracking players without making them earn their place.
“In English cricket, we gift our players a lot quickly,” he wrote in The Telegraph. “Until English cricket addresses all this, and remembers that Test cricket is a tough game that does not allow for shortcuts, the mediocrity will continue. You hear suggestions of weak men. That is what our system has created.”
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View AllPaine enjoys the chaos despite England’s troubles
Former Australia captain Tim Paine, however, took a lighter view of the situation, saying England’s bold approach has at least made the series entertaining.
“Even though the Test matches have been quick, they’ve been thoroughly entertaining, at times humorous, depending on who you support,” Paine told ICC.
“But I love the way both teams are going about it. They’re sticking to their guns. England aren’t backing down from their attacking approach and their laid-back approach, as you can see by the time they’ve spent up in Noosa this week," he said.
“I don’t mind ripping into them, like most Australians, but I enjoy watching them play. It hasn’t worked out for them yet in Australia, but I really enjoy what they’re trying to do, the mindset around it, and freeing players up to play their best,” Paine added.