Despite England’s potential Ashes series defeat in Australia, which would mean they have been without the Urn since ceding it in 2021, former captain Michael Vaughan has warned against making sweeping changes to the team. Australia tightened their grip on the contest with Travis Head’s unbeaten century on Day 3 of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, increasing their lead to 356 runs with six wickets remaining.
England’s much-discussed Bazball style, which was enthusiastically supported prior to the series, has failed to generate the intended results and has been under heavy scrutiny throughout the tour. A defeat in Adelaide would mark England’s fourth consecutive Ashes series loss in Australia, extending their losing streak to 17 Tests Down Under.
Historically, each Ashes defeat on Australian soil has resulted in considerable adjustments to the England setup.
However, Vaughan believes the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should resist the temptation to reshuffle the squad once more.
He indicated that frequent resets have done little to enhance long-term outcomes, and that consistency, rather than extreme change, may be the best road forward, despite the impending series defeat.
“English cricket often works in four-year cycles, home and away Ashes series. One or two players need to go because they aren’t good enough at this level, but a number of them have enough talent. If they are coached and managed correctly, and given the right kind of preparation, they are going to be fine in four years. It’s the only way I can see that English cricket can possibly be competitive in Australia, if they stick with some of the players that have the experience. Bad experience is better than no experience,” Vaughan told the Ashes Debrief on BBC iPlayer as quoted by The Indian Express.
While the prospect of senior figures such as captain Ben Stokes and Joe Root touring Australia for another Ashes series appears unlikely at present, Vaughan believes there are still several players within England’s setup capable of earning another opportunity Down Under. He added that the remaining two Tests at Melbourne and Sydney would offer England valuable chances to learn and assess which players are best suited to succeed in Australian conditions going forward.
“I look back to 2002-03, we were 4-0 down and won in Sydney. I learnt a lot about the next few years from winning that one game. England can’t think there is nothing to gain from the next two games. If this goes wrong, and it looks like it may do, Melbourne and Sydney are still opportunities to learn for the next time they come or the next time they play Australia,” said Vaughan.
India
