After England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, Bazball faces heavy scrutiny. The ECB has ordered a review as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum weigh whether to evolve or rethink their high-risk approach after mixed results overseas.
England’s Ashes 2025-26 tour of Australia ended on a disappointing note with a defeat in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday, January 8. England lost the Ashes seriesafter three successive losses in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide before making a comeback with a historic victory in Melbourne.
However, the Ben Stokes-led side missed out on the opportunity to narrow Australia’s lead in the series with a five-wicket defeat to the hosts. On the final day, the visitors were bundled out for 342 and set a 160-run target for Australia to chase with two sessions left. However, the hosts chased down the target in the second session to seal a 4‑1 series victory, leaving England to reflect on their inconsistent performances throughout the tour.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould confirmed that the board will launch a ‘thorough review’ of England’s ‘deeply disappointing’ campaign, examining tour planning, team performance, and off-field behaviour to identify lessons ahead of the 2027 Ashes.
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Bazball Under Scrutiny
One of the major talking points from England’s ‘Bazball’ approach, adopted by the captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, was its aggressive style, which thrilled fans but exposed the team’s vulnerability and inconsistency in Australian conditions. This was England’s Ashes Test tour of Australia since adopting the attacking style of cricket in Tests in 2022, and the series has intensified debate over high-risk strategy would survive against top sides in challenging conditions.
Throughout the Ashes series, England’s ‘Bazball’ was rarely on full display, with the team often playing cautiously and abandoning high-risk aggression to avoid collapse in the batting. Ben Stokes, who, along with Brendon McCullum, devised the Bazball approach, could not consistently impose that philosophy during the series, as conditions and Australia’s pace bowling attack forced the visitors to play conservatively.
Former England and 2005 Ashes-winning captain, Michael Vaughan, argued that the team’s ultra-aggressive approach had not quite survived in Australia and urged Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to move on from the ‘Bazball’ method and return to the traditional style of Test cricket.
Not just Michael Vaughan, Geoffrey Boycott, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, BBC broadcaster Jonathan Agnew, and Greg Chappell were quite critical of England’s Bazball approach, calling the philosophy ineffective against top-quality bowling attacks and urging a rethink of strategy after consistent failures in the contest.
Will England Ditch the Bazball Approach?
Following the lack of success of Bazball in the recently concluded Ashes series, the big question is whether England will persist with a high-risk attacking philosophy or recalibrate their approach to better suit challenging overseas conditions, especially in Australia.
Speaking to Sky Sports after England’s defeat in the final Test of the Ashes 2025 series at SCG, coach Brendon McCullum stated that his team is not looking to get rid of the Bazball blueprint entirely, but remains open to evolving and refining the approach rather than abandoning what has helped improve as a team.
“It is not about ripping up our script completely. From when we took over to where we are now, we are a better cricket team. I take offence to [any suggestion I don't want to evolve]. I am not against evolution, I welcome it,” the former New Zealand captain said.
“I am not rigid in my beliefs, but I have conviction in my methods. That doesn't mean you are blind to progress, but to throw everything out that has worked in pursuit of something completely unknown doesn't make any sense,” he added.
England’s ultra-attacking approach appears to be successful in English conditions, but it has struggled to deliver consistent results overseas, especially in India and Australia, where spin-friendly surfaces, pace and bounce, and sustained pressure from bowling attacks demand greater adaptability and situational restraint.
England’s Bazball Approach Becomes Predictable
England Test captain Ben Stokes admitted that the team’s Bazball approach has become predictable, especially in Australian conditions, with opposition adapting effectively to England’s methods, which exposed their mistakes throughout the series. He added that the team need to reassess their strategy and make adjustments if England wants to win a major series.
"I think in the first couple of years, teams found it difficult to try and come up with anything to come to combat the way that we played, but now teams are, I think, coming up with plans that (are) standing up to a certain style of cricket that we want to play,” Stokes said at the press conference as quoted by Reuters.
"When you come up against a team like Australia out here, who know how to play cricket out here, and you are adding to your own downfall, then you're going to end up losing the series 4-1 like we have done.
“When a trend is happening on a consistent basis, that's when you do need to go back and look at the drawing board and make some adjustments," he added.
England will look to put behind the Ashes 2025-26 series defeat in order to shift their focus toward the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting on February 9.
