The Ashes 2025/26

[rockinj]

But this misses the point that the game has fundamentally moved on. Because of the inexorable rise of 20 over cricket those players mostly simply don’t exist now.

Other Nations are playing an updated version of the old game.

Only England play bazball nonsense.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

Other Nations are playing an updated version of the old game.

Only England play bazball nonsense.

I’m not sure I agree with that and it’s significantly different point to the one I replied to, but there is definitely a balance to be struck and we haven’t found it yet.

 

[Cooperman]

Other Nations are playing an updated version of the old game.

Only England play bazball nonsense.

And the Bazball concept is primarily linked to the approach to batting, less so when it comes to bowling. If we remove our batting performance from discussion and therefore remove much of the Bazball debate at the same time, our bowling has been subpar for a lot of the series. Subpar in terms of both line & length and the selection of who bowled when.

 

[rockinj]

And the Bazball concept is primarily linked to the approach to batting, less so when it comes to bowling. If we remove our batting performance from discussion and therefore remove much of the Bazball debate at the same time, our bowling has been subpar for a lot of the series. Subpar in terms of both line & length and the selection of who bowled when.

Oh agreed but that’s also linked to a lack of preparation and focus on the hundred 20/20 shite

 

[Cooperman]

Oh agreed but that’s also linked to a lack of preparation and focus on the hundred 20/20 shite

True, but I still think that Key (or whoever planned it this way) could have been more aggressive with the schedule, both prior to travel and once they arrived.

 

[Cooperman]

Not many loose ones in this lot.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2009078810789204024

 

[rockinj]

Bethall was fantastic but I don’t like the ott reaction. He’s a good prospect but he needs to get games under his belt and learn his craft.

 

[jackharris]

That series was such an enormous let down. I know it’s a really tough place to go to, but that was simply atrocious. I think the biggest let down was for the amazing fans who made the trip and paid lots of money to watch a group of unprofessional cretins. There were some performances that were at the right standard. Bethell is a great prospect, Root made 2 hundreds, which we needed. Brook is unbelievably thick, he has an awesome talent, but he makes cretinous shot choices. Hopefully he will mature and his brain develops. Smith was a massive failure. Another player who is a brilliant short game batter, but needs to develop his shot choices. Stokes gave his all I feel. His batting is not brilliant, but he put in a shift in his bowling. Archer and Wood were the ones I was looking forward to bowling, but they are so injury prone unfortunately. Anyway I don’t want to write anymore because I am so angry with the whole set up.

 

[monmouth]

That series was such an enormous let down. I know it’s a really tough place to go to, but that was simply atrocious. I think the biggest let down was for the amazing fans who made the trip and paid lots of money to watch a group of unprofessional cretins. There were some performances that were at the right standard. Bethell is a great prospect, Root made 2 hundreds, which we needed. Brook is unbelievably thick, he has an awesome talent, but he makes cretinous shot choices. Hopefully he will mature and his brain develops. Smith was a massive failure. Another player who is a brilliant short game batter, but needs to develop his shot choices. Stokes gave his all I feel. His batting is not brilliant, but he put in a shift in his bowling. Archer and Wood were the ones I was looking forward to bowling, but they are so injury prone unfortunately. Anyway I don’t want to write anymore because I am so angry with the whole set up.

“No consequences”

But lots of arrogant, self entitled, big bollocks, no substance, arseholes.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

So I’m all for lambasting the players for being lackadaisical and often plain stupid. I’m all for lambasting the ridiculous lack of preparation. I’m all for a review because this Australia team is poor and England should have gone there and won. It was our best chance for decades and we blew it. Stokes has to stay for me for the reasons I put earlier in the thread. McCullum I’m less sure on but it would be the height of revisionism to pretend his time as coach has been a disaster or even bad. As a whole it’s been no such thing. Look back on the threads we’ve had on here during his tenure. England made test cricket relevant again. But it has to evolve and now is the time to do that.

But this review will be carried out by the ECB. The same ECB that schedules the county championship, the country’s only first class competition amd supposedly the breeding ground for the Test team, for spring and autumn when bowlers dominate. Then we wonder why we have Test bowlers who win consistently at home but struggle in alien conditions abroad. By the same token we wonder why we have batters who don’t have the technique for long haul innings when the height of the summer, scheduled by the ECB, is given over to 20 over thrashes. This same ECB sold off the month of August to The Hundred, the most superfluous cricket competition ever invented and which has now been sold off to become basically an extension of the IPL. We don’t have a 50 over competition worth the name anymore, it’s now a second XI irrelevance with a final at a half empty Trent Bridge in September.

So yeah, lambast the players and management as much as you want. They mostly deserve it. Just don’t expect anything to change.

 

[Jackareme]

The only preparation were one day games in New Zealand. These were taken that seriously that the captain was exchanging slaps with a bouncer in the middle of the night on the day before one of these games.

You can argue all you like that. This team is well led and has a winning culture. The basic facts tell you otherwise.

All the talent in the world is no good when you are pissing it up and down the wall.

 

[Longlostjack]

So I’m all for lambasting the players for being lackadaisical and often plain stupid. I’m all for lambasting the ridiculous lack of preparation. I’m all for a review because this Australia team is poor and England should have gone there and won. It was our best chance for decades and we blew it. Stokes has to stay for me for the reasons I put earlier in the thread. McCullum I’m less sure on but it would be the height of revisionism to pretend his time as coach has been a disaster or even bad. As a whole it’s been no such thing. Look back on the threads we’ve had on here during his tenure. England made test cricket relevant again. But it has to evolve and now is the time to do that.

But this review will be carried out by the ECB. The same ECB that schedules the county championship, the country’s only first class competition amd supposedly the breeding ground for the Test team, for spring and autumn when bowlers dominate. Then we wonder why we have Test bowlers who win consistently at home but struggle in alien conditions abroad. By the same token we wonder why we have batters who don’t have the technique for long haul innings when the height of the summer, scheduled by the ECB, is given over to 20 over thrashes. This same ECB sold off the month of August to The Hundred, the most superfluous cricket competition ever invented and which has now been sold off to become basically an extension of the IPL. We don’t have a 50 over competition worth the name anymore, it’s now a second XI irrelevance with a final at a half empty Trent Bridge in September.

So yeah, lambast the players and management as much as you want. They mostly deserve it. Just don’t expect anything to change.

I couldn’t give a full toss tbh but it’s England and Wales isn’t it?

 

[exiledclaseboy]

I couldn’t give a full toss tbh but it’s England and Wales isn’t it?

Yes of course.

 

[Niigata Jack]

So I’m all for lambasting the players for being lackadaisical and often plain stupid. I’m all for lambasting the ridiculous lack of preparation. I’m all for a review because this Australia team is poor and England should have gone there and won. It was our best chance for decades and we blew it. Stokes has to stay for me for the reasons I put earlier in the thread. McCullum I’m less sure on but it would be the height of revisionism to pretend his time as coach has been a disaster or even bad. As a whole it’s been no such thing. Look back on the threads we’ve had on here during his tenure. England made test cricket relevant again. But it has to evolve and now is the time to do that.

But this review will be carried out by the ECB. The same ECB that schedules the county championship, the country’s only first class competition amd supposedly the breeding ground for the Test team, for spring and autumn when bowlers dominate. Then we wonder why we have Test bowlers who win consistently at home but struggle in alien conditions abroad. By the same token we wonder why we have batters who don’t have the technique for long haul innings when the height of the summer, scheduled by the ECB, is given over to 20 over thrashes. This same ECB sold off the month of August to The Hundred, the most superfluous cricket competition ever invented and which has now been sold off to become basically an extension of the IPL. We don’t have a 50 over competition worth the name anymore, it’s now a second XI irrelevance with a final at a half empty Trent Bridge in September.

So yeah, lambast the players and management as much as you want. They mostly deserve it. Just don’t expect anything to change.

Virtually 6 days on the piss didn't help their preparation, not all were on the piss granted, but it adds to the malaise that seems to have been present in the camp, I think they're easily intimidated by the Aussies as well, maybe a decent clear the air leveller maybe the answer behind the Sydney Opera house is needed

 

[Swanjaxs]

Listen to this guys! Heads are going to roll. Starting with

Test Match Special Podcast - The Ashes: When Bazball went bad and one very proud dad - BBC Sounds

Reaction to news surrounding Harry Brook, and a chat with Jacob Bethell's father Graham.

www.bbc.co.uk