England coach Ben Stokes says a rethink of their ‘Bazball’ style of play is warranted, while embattled coach Brendon McCullum indicated he’d push back against major change to their set up after the Ashes loss.
England officials confirmed on Thursday a thorough review of their tour was already underway, including planning, preparation, performance and behaviours.
In a statement, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) boss Richard Gould said the organisation’s focus was already on regaining the urn from Australia at home in 2027.
Since taking over as coach in 2022 following England’s last away Ashes loss, McCullum stripped back support staff and gave players more freedom off the field, including ending a midnight curfew.
He has also driven an aggressive style of cricket as ‘Bazball’ became the catch-cry for England’s past three-and-a-half years.
At one stage, England had won 12 of 13 Tests under McCullum, but have now slumped to record victories in just three of their past 10.
Stokes conceded that the tourists’ style of cricket may need to change.
“What we managed to achieve in the first two, two-and-a-half years was very good. We wanted to build on that,” Stokes said.
“We wanted to grow as a team and be even more consistent than we were in that.
“If anything, we’ve done the opposite of that.
“We’ve started losing more. We’ve not won the big series that we want to be winning.
“When a trend is happening on a consistent basis in the way that you don’t want it to happen, then that’s when you do need to go look at the drawing board and make some adjustments.”
Stokes said he was “definitely keen to carry on” as England captain and McCullum is tipped to hold onto his job, but it remains to be seen if he willing to adapt to the requests of the ECB after their 4-1 Ashes series defeat to Australia.
“I am not against assistance but have a firm belief in how to get the best out of these players,” McCullum told the BBC after England’s five-wicket loss in Sydney.
“I will look at it individually and say ‘what could I have done better?’
“Am I for being told what to do? Of course I am not.
“But at the same time I’m not thinking there won’t be areas to improve. I’m not pig-headed (enough) to think there’s not some areas that we can improve on.
“Once we digest what’s unfolded over the last two months and start to plot and plan a way forward, if you’re the man in the chair to do so, then you do so with a similar conviction in your methods – albeit with a couple of tweaks.”
Stokes suggested England would need to come up with new plans as “we are now playing against teams who have answers to the style of cricket that we have been playing”.
“In the first couple of years, teams found it difficult to come up with anything to combat the way we played,” Stokes said.
“Now teams are coming up with plans that is actually standing up to the style of cricket we want to play.
“There’s been moments in games throughout the series – and even before that – where we’ve almost gifted the flow of the game back to the oppositon by a decision we think is the right one to take out there.
“And when you come up against a team like Australia and you’re adding to your own downfall, then you’re going to end up losing the series 4-1 like we have done.”
Stokes backed the coach and insisted as a pair they knew how to get the best out of players.
“It’s a different place being in the dressing room to being outside of the dressing room,” Stokes said.
“It comes with different pressures and it comes with different responsibilities because you’ve got the players to look after.
“Me and Brendon, we know how to run a dressing room.
“We know how to try and give the lads the best possible chance of being as good as they can be.”
It also emerged on Thursday that vice-captain Harry Brook had been handed a final warning about his conduct, with the UK Telegraph reporting he had been fined A$60,000 for a late-night incident in New Zealand in October.
Brook, who is England’s white-ball captain, is reported to have got into an altercation with a bouncer the night before an ODI match in a series they lost 0-3.
“I want to apologise for my actions,” Brook said in statement. “I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.”
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
First Test: Australia won by eight wickets
Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets
Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs
Fourth Test: England won by four wickets
Fifth Test: Australia won by five wickets
Australia squad (fifth Test): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
