61 m. ago Andrew Strauss says sacking Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes is not the answer

England have lost 16 and drawn just two of their last 18 Tests Down Under.

Politics

5 h. ago What changes can England make to salvage some pride from dismal Ashes tour?

The tourists have meekly surrendered the urn after three Tests and attention now turns to trying to avoid a whitewash.

Politics

11 h. ago ‘RIP’: Australian media revels in ‘deeply lamented’ death of Bazball after Ashes woe

Local media gleefully homed in on English pre-series predictions after Australia retained the urn having played just 11 days of cricket The sports sections of Australia’s major mastheads were on Monday largely dedicated to ridiculing pre-series predictions of an England Ashes victory, and announcing the end of the tourists’ now-compromised attacking philosophy.“Bazball is dead”, asserted the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, quoting former Australian opener Simon Katich. The West Australian newspaper fully committed to the theme, mocking up a pronouncement of Bazball’s passing on ye olde parchment, “deeply lamented by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, but basically no one else”. Continue reading...

Events

12 h. ago Sir Geoffrey Boycott calls for Brendon McCullum to be SACKED after Ashes failure

England have lost the Ashes to Australia in near-record-breaking time and there are questions marks over the future of head coach Brendon McCullum, but Sir Geoffrey Boycott is in no doubt

Events

24 h. ago Ben Stokes vows to stay on as captain as Brendon McCullum admits Ashes preparation ‘didn’t work’

England lost the third Test in Adelaide and face the prospect of a series whitewash, with head coach Brendon McCullum expressing regret over how the team prepared for the series

Politics

25 h. ago Ben Stokes wants to remain England captain as Brendon McCullum admits Ashes mistakes

Stokes ‘absolutely’ keen to stay on as captain despite crushing Ashes defeat in Australia

Politics

26 h. ago Stokes vows to remain England captain as McCullum admits regret over Ashes preparations

Tourists’ skipper ‘absolutely’ has energy to stay in roleHead coach after defeat: ‘Sitting here 3-0, it didn’t work’As Ben Stokes stressed his commitment to leading England after losing the Ashes inside 11 days, Brendon McCullum gave his first admission of regret. Poor preparation has been widely blamed for this failed tour of Australia and, in that regard, the head coach was prepared to hold his hand up.Speaking after the 82-run defeat at Adelaide Oval that sees Australia 3-0 up with two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to come, Stokes offered a simple “absolutely” when asked if he had the energy to continue as captain but played down England’s threadbare warmup period. Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago New dawn and new regime for England as Ashes humiliation sparks end for Bazball

England reined in their usual no-holds-barred approach in Adelaide but while Ben Stokes’ captaincy may survive, the philosophy of Bazball will not

Politics

26 h. ago Sir Geoffrey Boycott calls for England coach Brendon McCullum to go

Boycott believes captain Ben Stokes should also face the axe if he fails to learn some tough lessons.

Politics

29 h. ago Brendon McCullum admits England’s Ashes preparation ‘didn’t work’

England finally took a Test match into the fifth day in South Australia but an 82-run defeat leaves them 3-0 down to Australia.

Politics

3 d. ago What you need to know about Brendon McCullum's England future as Ashes torture continues

The latest on head coach Brendon McCullum's future with England looking set to lose the Ashes before Christmas

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Sack’ Snicko: England and Australia frustrated by DRS drama again in third Ashes Test

Smith dismissal echoes confusion of opening dayStarc heard through mic calling for Snicko to be ‘sacked’England’s batting coach, Marcus Trescothick, described the use of the decision review system in the third Ashes Test as “not ideal”, at the end of another day of questionable spikes, dubious frame-alignment and a dismissal of Jamie Smith that echoed the confusion of the opening day.The DRS technology in use in Australia was widely criticised on day one after Alex Carey had been wrongly reprieved by the third umpire after feathering a catch to Jamie Smith on 72. The culprit in that case appears to have been operator error involving a mismatch of sound-wave and picture frame selection. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Ashes latest: Surprise England call made as Brendon McCullum addresses sack threat

England's Ashes fate looks set to be decided this week as Brendon McCullum's men face a make-or-break third Test at the Adelaide Oval

Events

7 d. ago England need to be introduced to concept of consequences after Ashes flops | Mark Ramprakash

Players and coaches need to realise they will not be immune if fortunes do not change in the third Test in AdelaideThere’s always a lot of white noise around an Ashes series but at the moment for England it must be overwhelming, not just given their performances in the first two Tests but because of the mid-tour break they’ve just been on, with assorted media and attention-seekers following them around the beaches of Noosa.I absolutely understand that Brendon McCullum’s priority is to do what he believes is right for the team, but the optics around that trip were not great and many England fans, who have spent their hard-earned money travelling to Australia with little reward so far, will be quick to bring it up if they produce another poor display. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Brendon McCullum: England have dealt with Australian hostility well on Ashes tour

The team has had to contend with derogatory headlines, photographers trailing players on days off and even drones monitoring a round of golf.

Economics

8 d. ago Brendon McCullum backs England batters and shrugs off job questions

At 2-0 down, England are desperate for a win in AdelaideCoach says ‘kneejerk reactions’ are ‘not really our way’The series is on the line and, in all likelihood, jobs with it. But for Brendon McCullum, the latter is irrelevant. The England head coach has instead backed an unchanged top seven to deliver a fightback in the third Ashes Test and flip a narrative that has already featured talk of a whitewash bubble up.At 2-0 down with three to play, all wriggle room has disappeared for England. But talk of Ollie Pope potentially being dropped, or even Ben Stokes moving to No 3, was shot down by McCullum as his players resumed training on Sunday afternoon. No going back now was the message. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Is England’s failing Ashes campaign the end for Brendon McCullum’s Bazball project?

Brendon McCullum has transformed England’s Test team from where he found them, but their struggles in Australia will not be solved simply by the ‘courage’ that his coaching instils

Events

1 week ago McCullum’s ‘overprepared’ Ashes blunder may prove England’s Bazball epitaph

Australia’s superior basics have shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlightBrendon McCullum hated the term Bazball from the moment it entered the lexicon, deeming it to be reductive and perhaps knowing how it might be weaponised down the line. Now, 2-0 down in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.But McCullum has not helped himself, either. After the gutting at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England trained “too hard” before the day‑night match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago McCullum’s ‘overprepared’ Ashes remark may prove England’s Bazball epitaph

Australia’s superior basics have shattered expectations and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlightBrendon McCullum hated the term Bazball from the moment it entered the lexicon, deeming it to be reductive and perhaps knowing how it might be weaponised down the line. Now, 2-0 down in an away Ashes series that began with high hopes, it has become the butt of Australian jokes.But McCullum has not helped himself, either. After the gutting at the Gabba, his insistence that, if anything, England trained “too hard” before the day‑night match was like trying to put out a bin fire with petrol. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not take an upturn. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Brendon McCullum demands strong response from England to rescue Ashes campaign

England are on the brink of another Ashes series defeat in Australia after losing the first two Tests

Events