Ashes 2025-26: Jobs on the line after England’s Ashes defeat – Jonathan Agnew

It looks like McCollum will be given the opportunity to turn things around, assuming he agrees to change his ways. I just don’t think that’s likely to happen.

He played and led that way for New Zealand. He trains and lives his life in this relaxed way.

McCullum is very good company, a decent man who did a good job in those early years in charge, but his methods proved not to work with this group of players in Test cricket.

Baseball was not good for Ollie Pope, Harry Brock, Jimmy Smith, or Gus Atkinson, to name a few. They are a bit jostled by what is expected of them.

There needs to be more flexibility in terms of playing more cricket matches and more focus on county level cricket, where players learn their game.

Does McCollum think this is the right way to go?

Whatever happens there, the person England must keep in place is Ben Stokes as captain.

They cannot afford for McCollum to leave and for Stokes to follow suit.

Yes, he was as much a part of the logo as McCollum, but his comments in this series showed he wanted more.

I don’t think he had a great run as captain.

I don’t know why the new ball wasn’t given to Josh Tong sooner than the final day of the series, and some of Stokes’ fielding or tactical decisions might have been off.

But he is the best captain England has. Certainly Brook, Stokes’ vice-captain, has shown that he is a million miles away from being fit to captain the England Test side.

He hit Brock irresponsibly from the start, he didn’t learn and now needs to go away and take a look at his game.

If he doesn’t do this, he will be unable to achieve what he is capable of, which would be a real waste.

When it comes to other changes, I hope we haven’t seen the last of Pope as he is a talented hitter.

England have to part with Will Jacks, who is not a good enough player to be the only player in the Test attack.

The really interesting thing is wicket-keeper Smith. Who will be behind the stumps in England’s first Test next summer?

The way Smith has shrunk here, with 211 runs across 10 innings at an average of 23.44, plus dropped catches, is a matter of serious concern.

In fact, the only two players who can leave the tour with their heads held high are Tongue and Jacob Bethel.

Brydon Carse has been given the wrong role – he is the one who comes on at first change and runs hard while bowling long overs rather than the opening bowler – but he deserves praise for the way he has continued to attack throughout the five Tests.

Bethell’s 154 at Sydney was an innings for someone who had played 50 Tests instead of five.

Brock should take a leaf out of his book when trying to figure out how to play proper Test innings.

After a tour that started with so much hope, there is little to cheer about.