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The England head coach detested the moniker Bazball the moment it emerged, viewing it as reductive and perhaps foreseeing how it could be used as a weapon in the future. Currently, down 2-0 in an away Ashes series that started with great expectations, it has become the butt of mockery from Australia.

But the coach has not helped himself either. Following the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'too prepared' prior to the pink-ball match was like attempting to extinguish a bin fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his lasting legacy as England head coach if results do not improve.

On one level, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum says he block out external noise, he must have been acutely aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is not so simple. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they practice equally hard. Prior to the Gabba Test, they trained for longer, completing five days compared to Australia's three, due to their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different lighting conditions.

The Question of Preparation and Training

McCullum's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the moment he wavered in his belief that minimal preparation is best. It suggested a significant amount of focus was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's stronghold. And though nets are a chance to iron out skills, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were unavailable (and no guarantee, as shown by England having played three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). What is harder to square is the disregard of county championship cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, evidenced by a young player's wasted summer.

Match Shortcomings and Strategic Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the many situations they walk out to face, and it is in this area where England have so far fallen well short. It is not only with the batting – as poor as some of the decision-making has been – but an attack that seems leaderless. No bowler has shown the patience or discipline that the exceptional Mitchell Starc and his support cast have displayed.

McCullum's unconventional outlook was freeing during its first 12 months, an effective, well diagnosed solution to shake off the lethargy that came before. The frustration now stems from how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an upgrade to the original software that has seen form taper off to an even record from their most recent matches.

Squad Focus and Selection Dilemmas

One such player is the wicketkeeper-batter, a gifted player, undoubtedly, but one who is being mercilessly targeted on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities with the gloves. The situation is not aided when your opposite number, Alex Carey, has just delivered a virtuoso performance.

Going by the coach's comments in the aftermath, England appear set to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The expectation – similar to the broader situation – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting triggers his best, with Perth's trampoline surface and the unusual floodlit Test now in the past.

The alternative is to implement the plan discovered during the victorious series in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his preferred position as a busy middle order player, handing him the wicketkeeping duties, and selecting a new No 3. Bethell scored runs for the Lions over the weekend, or perhaps an all-rounder could perform a comparable function to the former spinner in 2023.

Ultimately, these changes is ideal, however Australia's better fundamentals having destroyed expectations and forced the broader philosophy into the spotlight.