England captain Ben Stokes has addressed reports of disagreements with head coach Brendon McCullum, stating that while they sometimes have different viewpoints, their commitment to winning remains aligned.
Greg Chappell said that while he admires positive cricket, a "full-frontal assault" approach is insult to the intelligence of the players and the public alike.
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
England have dropped opener Zak Crawley and selected Emilio Gay as Ben Duckett's opening partner in a reshaped squad for the first Test against New Zealand.
Enjoyment is a huge part of why I'm still playing: Jonny Bairstow
He added that to win Test matches in Australia, a team needs to do well in all three departments, which his side didn't do throughout the Ashes series.
'The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting.'
'They're all going to score because they are naturally gifted players but the real high-risk way of playing, I'm afraid it hasn't worked.'
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed his interest in joining the national team's coaching setup, aiming to refine their approach to Test cricket following their Ashes defeat and scrutiny of the 'Bazball' tactics.
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc has warned against flattening surfaces to maximise five-day revenue as England's aggressive "Bazball" approach looms.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
Ben Stokes calls England's 4-1 Ashes loss his toughest phase as captain but vows to restore pride in the upcoming home Test summer, with ECB backing leadership.
Brendon McCullum will continue as England's head coach in all three formats, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday, despite the team's lacklustre performances and lingering questions about their dressing-room culture.
Michael Vaughan believes England's victory in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a 'lottery'.
England's scoring rate of 2.91 runs per over during the second session was the second-slowest in a home Test in the Bazball era, only behind their 2.72 per over effort against New Zealand at Lord's in 2022.
The five-match Test series against India at home will be a massive Test for England's 'Bazball' brand of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Will Jacks credits Harry Brook's leadership for England's success in the T20 World Cup, highlighting his impact on the team's approach and environment.
'It felt like you had to force the ball through, which in England were are not used to -- you usually get rewards for your cuts and clips.'
England aim to seal Super Eights qualification against T20 World Cup debutants Italy at Eden Gardens, as the historic football rivalry adds spice to their Group C clash.
The five-match Test series against India at home is a massive test for England's 'Bazball' brand of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Joe Root declared that it is his time to pay back Test skipper Ben Stokes, who did so much for him while serving as his deputy during his captaincy tenure that lasted from 2017 to 2022.
England will be heading into the T20 World Cup with a massive confidence boost following a series win across both white-ball formats in Sri Lanka under captaincy of young Harry Brook, who has switched his side's fortunes since taking over.
It was a wild ride while it lasted but the 'Bazball' revolution that enlivened English cricket for three years collapsed in 11 days on Australian soil in an Ashes defeat as harrowing as any in the modern era.
'The moment was right': Head floors England with match-winning hundred
'If you get to the point where you can draw the game, of course, we're not stupid enough to think that you have to just win or lose.'
Joe Root's patient unbeaten 99 led England to 251-4 on an attritional and compelling first day of the third Test against India at Lord's on Thursday.
'But I think that the manner in which they play is part of the reason why I think they've got their best chance in 15 years of regaining the Ashes Down Under, because in 2010-11 when we went down there and won, we pushed back against Australia.'
Travis Head said he was loving life as a Test opener after recording his third century of the Ashes series to help put Australia in a strong position after day three of the fifth Test on Tuesday.
'I'm sure if it ever ... comes to it, I'll be asked my opinion and he'll be getting my full support and backing.'
England's McCullum wants to keep 'pretty good gig' despite Ashes defeat
While defending totals of 350 or more in 59 Tests, India have won 42, with their sole defeat coming against England at Edgbaston in 2022.
An Ashes tour that began with high hopes of taking home the urn has been reduced to a desperate effort to salvage some last vestiges of dignity for England.
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
The Ashes could be decided within days at an Adelaide Oval furnace where England's hopes of wresting back the urn will fire anew or flame out entirely against a strengthened Australia.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
'It is the biggest stage and it is the brightest lights. It is a series that could define teams, the people and players within it.'
'They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game.'
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Less than two weeks after being dismissed as a "dud" Down Under, Joe Root finally shrugged the monkey off his back with a first Test century in Australia on Thursday to breathe life into England's Ashes campaign.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances