England is currently under a lot of pressure, as fans are demanding answers for the recent <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/ashes-2025-26-khawaja-farewell-and-smith-on-australias-4-1-series-win/2992-5-0">Ashes defeat</a> against Australia. Their much-hyped tactics, often known as Bazball, are being seriously questioned by many English fans.

Amid the criticism, the former England bowler Chris Woakes has come out in defence of Bazball. He said it would be na&iuml;ve for England to put aside all their hard work and start with a new plan after the Ashes defeat.

&quot;I think it&#39;d be daft to kind of rip it up and start again. We have done so many good things over the last three years. We won some extremely exciting Test matches. I think people forget that before they took over, we were a pretty poor side,&rdquo; said former England pacer, Chris Woakes.

&ldquo;We were not winning games of cricket. I think at the same time now, obviously we&#39;ve had a poor series in Australia and haven&#39;t got quite over the line in the big series, but they&#39;re close. To rip it up now would be a bit daft,&rdquo; added Chris Woakes.

He further said that many England players were touring Australia for the first time, which is why they didn&rsquo;t have any idea about the conditions there.

&quot;It didn&#39;t go really well in Australia obviously. I think we had the team to be able to compete. The guys are extremely talented. I think maybe going to Australia for the first time for a lot of them, maybe got exposed a little bit to the conditions,&rdquo; said Chris Woakes.

&ldquo;Then you realize that you have to back it up day after day after day. They didn&#39;t win those key moments. I think particularly as a bowling attack, they probably didn&#39;t quite have the experience and the know-how to perform on those surfaces,&quot; added Chris Woakes.

Woakes is confident that England will turn up in the upcoming Test matches with a renewed focus. He believes England has learned plenty of lessons on the recent tour, which will help them become better in the days ahead.

Chris Woakes has said that England should not abandon their aggressive approach after the Ashes defeat. He believes the team has produced positive results over the past few years.

Chris Woakes Stands Firm on Bazball, Dismisses Major Overhaul

The incredible performances of <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/mitchell-starc-outrageous-performance-in-ashes-series/3026-5-0">Mitchell Starc</a> led to him winning the ICC Men&rsquo;s Player of the Month award for December 2025, as Australia claimed a 4-1 victory in the Ashes. The left-armed fast bowler played a pivotal role, contributing significantly with both bat and ball.

<h2>Starc&#39;s Impact in the Ashes</h2>

Starc was an important influence throughout the Ashes series, and Starc kicked off the series with a 10-wicket haul in the opening Test at Perth, and he followed up with 8 wickets in the second Test at Brisbane.&nbsp;

He continued his dominance, taking four wickets in both the Adelaide and Melbourne Tests. The fact that he had gotten 16 wickets in the month of December alone highlighted his impact.

<h2>Starc&rsquo;s All-Round Contributions</h2>

Starc&rsquo;s value wasn&rsquo;t limited to his bowling; his half-centuries in Brisbane and Adelaide also provided crucial runs. These innings helped Australia establish a 3-0 lead, which set the stage for their eventual <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/ashes-2025-26-khawaja-farewell-and-smith-on-australias-4-1-series-win/2992-5-0">4-1 victory</a>.

At the end of the series, Starc was acknowledged as the all-around brilliance. He finished as the leading wicket-taker with 31 wickets and was named Player of the Series for his excellent all-round performance.

<h2>Starc Reflects on the Achievement</h2>

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honour to be named the ICC Player of the Month, and even more special that it came on the back of such a successful home Ashes,&rdquo; said Starc. &ldquo;Playing a part in winning such an iconic series in front of our home crowd is something we will all cherish for a long time.&rdquo;

Looking ahead, Starc emphasized the importance of maintaining Australia&rsquo;s momentum: &ldquo;As a team, we&rsquo;ve had some outstanding performances in recent years. The focus now is on building that momentum towards next year&rsquo;s ICC World Test Championship Final.&rdquo;

This marks Starc&rsquo;s first ICC Men&rsquo;s Player of the Month award, and ends a two-year wait for an Australian winner, with Pat Cummins having last claimed the honour in December 2023.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc has been named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for December 2025 after stellar performances in the Ashes series, helping Australia win 4-1.

Mitchell Starc Wins Icc Men’s Player Of The Month For December 2025

Josh Hazlewood&rsquo;s T20 World Cup return looks possible. He sounds measured, as the tone alone tells part of the story as Australia manage another delicate return for a fast bowler who has learned patience the hard way.

After a hamstring strain ruled him out of the opening <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/shows/the-ashes-2025-26/2140">Ashes Tests</a>, Hazlewood&rsquo;s rehab hit another bump when an Achilles issue surfaced. The result was a summer spent watching rather than bowling, including the latter stages of the Big Bash League, where he remained only a supplementary option for the Sydney Sixers.

Yet the mood around Hazlewood has shifted, as the 35-year-old believes he is lining up his run-up just in time for Australia&rsquo;s first assignment at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.

&ldquo;Everything&rsquo;s going to plan,&rdquo; Hazlewood said, explaining that his workload has been rebuilt step by step rather than forced.

That careful approach explains why he will skip the upcoming T20 internationals against Pakistan and remain absent from match action until a planned warm-up appearance early next month. Australia will open their tournament against Ireland on February 11, a schedule that quietly works in his favour.

<h2>A Different Approach Behind The Scenes</h2>

In recent seasons, Hazlewood&rsquo;s body has rarely enjoyed a clean run. Since the 2020&ndash;21 summer, he has completed just one home season without interruption. Even that stretch ended with calf and side complaints following an intense Test schedule.

The latest setbacks have prompted deeper conversations with medical staff. The hamstring issue, he believes, came down to timing rather than warning signs. The Achilles trouble felt more like an old annoyance resurfacing after months of stop-start training.

Instead of tearing up his routine, Hazlewood has tweaked it. The aim is to stress the body in bursts rather than drip-feed strain every other day.

That method could shape how he prepares for red-ball cricket later this year, with Tests against Bangladesh looming in August.&nbsp;

<h2>Selection Balance and Tournament Reality</h2>

Chair of selectors George Bailey has already flagged that Australia cannot afford to carry more than one player unavailable at the start of the tournament. Captain Pat Cummins remains another workload watch, adding another layer to the puzzle.

Still, optimism remains grounded, as Josh Hazlewood&rsquo;s T20 World Cup return is much needed for him and for Australia. Hazlewood&rsquo;s progress allows selectors to plan without scrambling, a luxury not always available in recent campaigns.

This Josh <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/cummins-and-hazlewood-likely-for-t20-world-cup-squad/2844-5-0">Hazlewood injury</a> update also comes with an eye on the month ahead. Following the World Cup, he is set to join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the IPL.

Josh Hazlewood’s T20 World Cup return moves closer as Josh Hazlewood’s injury recovery stays on track, giving Australia fresh hope ahead of Sri Lanka.

Josh Hazlewood Injury Recovery Sparks Hope Ahead of T20 World Cup

The England team is currently facing a huge scrutiny after getting defeated by Australia in the Ashes. The freshly evolved drinking controversy has made matters worse, as fans are demanding answers for such reckless behavior on the tour. An internal <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/brendon-mccullum-admits-england-need-little-tweaks/2998-5-0">Ashes review</a> process has also been launched by the ECB to assess the performance and behavior of the team over the last few months.

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has now come forward in defense of the England team. He stated that the team does not have a drinking culture, however, some players should have been more mindful of their personal actions to avoid negative publicity.

&quot;They&#39;ve just had a couple of guys who have made mistakes and that&#39;s got into the media. I think it&#39;s up to your teammates to get you out of those situations, and that&#39;s when your culture&#39;s really strong.&rdquo; said former England pacer, Stuart Broad.

He pointed out the recent incidents that have put the England team in a negative spotlight. The controversy involving Ben Duckett and Harry Brook was certainly among the events that made things difficult for the team. Due to that, he believes Brendon McCullum must be deeply disappointed, as he was not expecting such behavior from his players.

&quot;Ben Duckett isn&#39;t left alone, no idea where his hotel is. Harry Brook doesn&#39;t get himself in a situation with a bouncer, because they&#39;re not allowed anywhere near that situation. So I think that&#39;s the thing that will disappoint Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum].&rdquo; said Stuart Broad.

&quot;I really didn&#39;t like having a 12 o&#39;clock curfew, because I just didn&#39;t feel like you should need it. As long as you have people around you to get yourself home at a suitable hour, having the team-mates around you to go,&#39; your time&#39;s up&#39;.&quot; added Stuart Broad.

<h2>Players Need a Mental Break from Cricket</h2>

Broad then said that international players need some time off from the cricket field. While this doesn&rsquo;t mean that players can do whatever they want, they do need a mental break to refresh their minds.

&quot;As an international player, you need some sort of release. I&#39;m not saying it&#39;s &#39;have a few beers, whatever your release is&#39;, but if you don&#39;t have that mental switch-off, it drives you mad if you don&#39;t do anything.&rdquo; said Stuart Broad.

He then stated firmly that England players do not have a drinking culture, as it does not reflect their background. Due to being a former player who has represented England for a long time, he understands how challenging it can be for some players when they are on international tours away from home.

&quot;Cricketers are away six months of the year in hotels. [But] there isn&#39;t a drinking culture. I&#39;ll hang my hat on that, knowing the boys as well as I do. But it is just making sure the boys don&#39;t get in trouble when situations arise.&quot; said Stuart Broad.

<h2>Need to Showcase More Awareness and Responsibility</h2>

Jos Buttler also gave his opinion about the responsibility of players on international tours. He said that players need to take care of themselves, as they are representing not just a team but an entire nation. This is something every international cricketer needs to understand, as it is essential for all.

&quot;A lot of it is optics as well, isn&#39;t it?. You&#39;ve got to be so aware. Your teammates look after you, but you&#39;ve got to look after yourself. That is a price you pay for being an international cricketer and playing for England.&rdquo; said Jos Buttler.

&quot;You can&#39;t just go and do whatever you want. You&#39;re professional, you have to live a professional life, which the boys do, and you have to make it look that way as well.&quot; concluded Jos Buttler.

Stuart Broad has come out in support of former England players, saying that the team does not have a drinking culture. He added that some players need to be more careful about their actions.

Ex-England Star Stuart Broad Backs Teammates in Recent Drinking Row

Mitchell Starc played a key role for Australia in the recent Ashes series. His ruthless bowling gave Australia a decisive edge over England, which looked largely clueless against him throughout the series. This proved that Starc&rsquo;s time in international cricket is far from over. He remains fit and firing, giving Australia a valuable advantage over other teams in test cricket.

Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the SCG Test, <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/what-makes-mitchell-starcs-yorkers-almost-impossible-to-face/2446-2-0">Mitchell Starc</a> said that age is just a number, which does not necessarily determine whether a player can perform at the international level. He added that if a player is making an impact with his performances, the question of age should not come into anyone&rsquo;s mind.

&quot;This group has shown that whilst there&#39;s so much made about our age profile at times, that experience has been a really good thing in some moments of the series. I think we&#39;ve seen guys prove that. If you&#39;re still playing your role or if you&#39;re still good enough, it shouldn&#39;t matter how old you are.&rdquo; said Mitchell Starc while talking to the reporters.

He explained how everyone in the team works on their fitness to stay ready for big series like the Ashes. By consistently focusing on training and workouts, his body remains in shape to handle the challenge of long bowling spells in test matches.

&ldquo;Our group do that really well and tailor programs or preparation for that. We&#39;ve seen the results this series. It&#39;s not always the case, but I feel like on the last day of the five-Test series, I&#39;ve felt in worse condition than I have this series. So that means that the stuff I&#39;ve been doing off the field is a good thing.&quot; said lead Australian pacer, Mitchell Starc.

<h2>Steve Smith Lauds Starc&rsquo;s Marathon Bowling Effort</h2>

The captain of Australia, Steve Smith, was also full of praise for Starc&rsquo;s exceptional bowling effort. He said it was incredible to see how bowlers like Starc and Boland keep their bodies fit to play all test matches. Such effort requires continuous training as well as the will to perform for Australia in crunch moments.

&quot;[Starc&#39;s] led the attack in all five games. Him and Scotty playing all five games was a huge effort. We look at our attack and their attack. They only had Brydon Carse playing every game, everyone else went down.&rdquo; said Australian captain, Steve Smith.

He added that Australia is a tricky place for fast bowlers, as the conditions here make long bowling spells pretty hard. It is therefore heartening to see how Starc managed his workload and performed for Australia without going down at any point during the series.

&quot;[Australia] is a tricky place to bowl fast. The amount of force these guys put through their bodies on these wickets is outrageous. To be able to come out and play five Tests the way he and Scotty did and keep backing up day in, day out and do the job was incredible.&quot; said Steve Smith.

<h2>Delivering Impact by Staying True to Core Skills</h2>

When Mitchell Starc was asked what type of adjustments he brought into his bowling in the absence of <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/australia-confident-for-pat-cummins-participation-in-world-cup/2921-5-0">Pat Cummins</a> and Josh Hazlewood, the pacer replied that he backed his core skills and bowled according to the match situation.

&quot;For me, I haven&#39;t really changed anything. Probably a lot more made [of it] outside the group than inside, whether it be Pat and Josh, or what we have and haven&#39;t got. For me, I felt like if I could just do my role like I&#39;ve tried to anyway throughout however many years, that&#39;s the best thing I could do for the team.&rdquo; said Mitchel Starc.

He added that the bowling group tried to execute their plans together so that the opposition could crumble under a unified impact. In this regard, Starc praised all the bowlers who played their part effectively in the series.

&quot;As a group, we knew how good Scotty is and has been, likewise with Ness, Doggy, and Jhye in the Test he played.&rdquo; said Mitchel Starc.

&ldquo;It wasn&#39;t about [me] doing more, it was probably more about doing the good stuff for longer and whether things are going well or not, not getting too high, too low. I&#39;m very pleased to have played that role as best as I could through the series.&quot; concluded Mitchel Starc.

Mitchell Starc bowled exceptional well in the recent Ashes series. His performances has given him an elusive edge which defines his elite class in fast bowling.

Mitchell Starc Continues to Redefine Australia’s Fast-Bowling Standards

The impact Travis Head created during the recently concluded Ashes series was phenomenal. He was asked to open the innings only when Usman Khawaja was abruptly injured during the first test. The explosive batter took the opportunity and showcased his brute hitting power to stun the sloppy England team.

Speaking about how <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/travis-head-likely-to-keep-test-opener-role-after-ashes-performance/2952-5-0">Travis Head</a> transformed Australia&rsquo;s batting, the captain Steve Smith said that Head stepped up bravely when the team was very nervous following Usman Khawaja&rsquo;s sudden injury. Thankfully, they made the right decision, as Head delivered a splendid batting performance that gave Australia an edge over England.

&quot;Going back to Perth, Trav put his hand up. I said it after that, we were tossing and turning between Nathan Lyon going out to bat and Travis Head, and thankfully we went the right way.&quot; said Steve Smith while talking to the reporters.

He added that Travis Head brought a batting power at the top similar to David Warner. Due to that, they successfully transformed the opening impact of their batting, which allowed them to win crucial matches.

&quot;The way he&#39;s just come out and put the pressure on the opposition from ball one has been incredible and, yeah, similar to what Davey used to do,&quot; added Steve Smith.

Smith then explained the batting strategy of Head, saying that he keeps the bowlers under the pump most of the time. He never misses an opportunity to punish loose deliveries, which makes him a highly dangerous batter at the top.

&quot;He just puts you right under the pump. If you miss, it&#39;s going to the fence and with the new ball as well, it helps guys batting behind him.&rdquo; said Steve Smith.

He further said that Head&rsquo;s belligerence with the bat helps to soften up the ball, which makes batting easy for the rest of the players. He also praised the contributions of Jake Weatherald by saying that he supported Head very well at the top.

&quot;It softens that ball up definitely when he&#39;s hitting it as hard as he is. I thought Jake [Weatherald] had a few really good contributions with him up top as well. Trav&#39;s just been phenomenal and I&#39;d say he&#39;s pretty much locked away at the top now, I would imagine.&quot; added Steve Smith.

<h2>Jake Weatherald&rsquo;s Fate Hinges on Selectors Call</h2>

Jake Weatherald played some good innings in the recent Ashes games, but his runs tally remained largely short as compared to other batters. Due to this, his place in the next test matches are not confirmed, as the final call will be taken by the selectors.

&quot;He probably didn&#39;t quite get the runs that he would have wanted. But he got us off to a couple of really good starts in pressure situations like today and in Perth as well in that second innings.&rdquo; said Steve Smith.

&quot;I think the new ball is definitely the trickiest time to bat in Australia at the moment, for sure. I think he did a good job. It&#39;s obviously down to the selectors how they see fit for our next couple of games in August.&quot; concluded Steve Smith.

The upcoming Sheffield Shield tournament will present an opportunity to many players to exhibit their batting talent. Jake Weatherald and other batters will be looking to utilize this opportunity to reaffirm their claims, as the opening slot in tests is still vacant.

Steve Smith has said that Travis Head provides batting firepower similar to David Warner. He believes Head is now locked in to open the batting of Australia in tests.

Head Brings Warner-Like Firepower to Australia’s Batting

During the New Zealand ODI series, Harry Brook was reported to be involved in a heated altercation with a nightclub bouncer. The incident happened hours before he captained England in the last ODI, meaning his conduct during the series was highly questionable.

As soon as the matter was reported, the England Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation and eventually penalized <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/harry-brook-aims-for-a-smarter-approach-in-adelaide/2677-5-0">Harry Brook</a> for his conduct. However, no decision was taken to remove him from the England captaincy, as the management avoided to make any knee-jerk reaction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In a recent ECB statement, Harry Brook issued an apology for the incident during the New Zealand ODI series. He admitted that his behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment not only to himself but also to the England team.

&quot;I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.&rdquo; ,&quot; said Harry Brook in a statement released by the ECB.

He added that representing England is still an honor for him, so he takes this responsibility very seriously. Being a captain, he would now remain more careful with his conduct, as the opportunity to lead England at the highest level is quite big.

&quot;Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my teammates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.&rdquo; said England white-ball captain, Harry Brook.

&quot;I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.&quot; added Harry Brook.

A separate ECB spokesperson also said about the incident that the board has taken appropriate measures to address it effectively. He added that Harry Brook has acknowledged his mistake and has reaffirmed to remain careful with his behavior in the future.

&quot;We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process. The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.&quot; said ECB spokesperson.

<h2>Bad Discipline Not Acceptable, Rob Key Warns</h2>

The managing director of England, Rob Key, also gave his opinion on the conduct of the England team during the New Zealand series. Referring to a video that showed Harry Brook and other England players drinking heavily on a rooftop bar, he said the team has been issued an informal warning, and the board has a proper process in place to monitor such matters strictly.

&quot;There wasn&#39;t any action, like formal action. We&#39;ve had four years where we&#39;ve had none of these issues really, with any of the players. And there&#39;s a whole process that we put in place for stuff like that for what you do if they&#39;re out of line. And I didn&#39;t feel like that was worthy of formal warnings. But it was probably worthy of informal ones.&rdquo; said managing director of England, Rob Key.

&quot;I think that was a bit of a wake-up call actually for what they&#39;re going into. I don&#39;t mind players having a glass of wine over dinner. Anything more than that, I think is ridiculous, really.&quot; added Rob Key.

After having a rough few months, the England team will now focus on the ICC T20 World Cup that is starting from next month in India and Sri Lanka. Fans are expecting them to come hard in this tournament, as their performances in the last few series have remained disappointing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Harry Brook has been penalised by the ECB over the nightclub altercation incident in New Zealand. He has been fined and given a warning to watch his conduct in the future.

Harry Brook Fined Over Nightclub Bouncer Incident Before Ashes

Brendon McCullum is under pressure, as England <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/ashes-2025-26-khawaja-farewell-and-smith-on-australias-4-1-series-win/2992-5-0">lost</a> the Ashes series quite badly against Australia. With calls growing to replace him as head coach, England&rsquo;s management has not made any decision yet. The board has, however, announced a review to assess the entire tour. They will review everything carefully before deciding, as the management wants to avoid a knee-jerk reaction.

Speaking to the media about how McCullum plans to move forward, he said that his belief in precise methods has not diminished, but he is open to trying a few changes. He added that evolution in every sport is necessary, however, it does not mean that a leader should lose control or influence over core areas.

&quot;Whatever you do in life, I think you have to have some authenticity. For me in the job as coach, when you&#39;re trying to guide and shepherd and assist players, you need to have an influence over how the environment runs. And to be in charge of a lot of those decisions that are made when the pressure&#39;s on.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum while speaking to the media.

&quot;So, as long as that remains, I&#39;m open to progress, I&#39;m open to evolution and some nipping and tucking. But without being ultimately able to steer the ship maybe there is someone better.&rdquo; added Brendon McCullum.

The England head coach added that he still has a strong conviction in certain methods, but that does not mean he is against evolution. He is open to tweaking things slightly, but not making any drastic overhauls.

&quot;It depends what changes, right? I&#39;ve a firm conviction in a lot of my methods. I&#39;m not against evolution and not against progress. I encourage that across all sports, not just cricket. And all aspects of life as well. So I&#39;m not against that.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum.

&quot;However, you need to stand for something. You need to believe in your methods and you need to believe in how you go about things. It depends on what changes.&quot; added Brendon McCullum.

<h2>Brendon McCullum Keen to Continue as England Head Coach</h2>

Even after losing the Ashes by a disappointing margin of 4-1, <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/brendon-mccullum-admits-england-need-little-tweaks/2998-5-0">Brendon McCullum</a> still believes he is the right man for the job. However, he also acknowledges that the final decision is not in his hands, as the upper management will decide what&rsquo;s best for English cricket.

&quot;When I took this job, I didn&#39;t take it for any other reason than I thought I could help and that hasn&#39;t changed. I believe I can help.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum.

&quot;I&#39;m keen to carry on in the job. I think there&#39;s some exciting talent which sits within the game. I think the progress we&#39;ve made has been pretty good. It&#39;s not necessarily at the level we want it to be, but it&#39;s been pretty good from when we took over.&rdquo; added Brendon McCullum.

He then reminded everyone of the core objective behind taking up the England coaching role. It was purely based on the idea of improving English cricket, as the talent within the country is immense. He also said that his team has gained the trust of fans, as the methods utilized by the current group have brought a new life to test cricket.

&quot;Remember, when we did take over, look at the exciting opportunity that&#39;s there for English cricket: the talent, the resource, the fan base and the history within English cricket. Think of the challenges that Test cricket, in particular, has faced from franchise cricket around the world.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum.

&ldquo;You think about, how do you continue to ensure that Test cricket is really relevant? I think fans have turned up and the way that people support this cricket team is testament to that, and I think over the last few years, we&#39;ve played some very good cricket.&rdquo; concluded Brendon McCullum.

Brendon McCullum has said that he is open to bringing changes in his methods, however, he wants to retain control over the team’s core principles.

England’s Coach McCullum Open to Evolution While Maintaining Authority

After facing a disappointing <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/ashes-2025-26-khawaja-farewell-and-smith-on-australias-4-1-series-win/2992-5-0">defeat</a> in the Ashes, Brendon McCullum has admitted that his approach needs a few tweaks. The role of McCullum has come under heavy scrutiny, as fans are demanding answers for the humiliation England received during the series. The managing director of England, Rob Key, is also under the radar, as he gave the team and coach firm backing before the series.

The CEO of the England Cricket Board (ECB), Richard Gould, has announced that a thorough review and analysis of the recent Ashes tour will be conducted. He acknowledged that the series began with high anticipation, but the results have been very disappointing.

&quot;This Ashes tour began with significant hope and anticipation, and it is therefore deeply disappointing that we have been unable to fulfil our ambition of winning the Ashes in Australia,&quot; said Richard Gould in a statement.

&quot;While there were moments of strong performance and resilience during the series, including a hard-fought victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne, we were not consistent enough across all conditions and phases of the contest, and Australia ultimately deserved to retain the Ashes.&quot; added Richard Gould.

He further said that England is determined to learn plenty of lessons from this loss. It will help them to move ahead with greater motivation for the 2027 Ashes series. The board will now conduct a thorough review to identify the shortcomings and determine how they can be addressed in the future.

&quot;We will take many lessons from this tour and are determined to improve quickly. Our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027. A thorough review of the campaign is already underway. This will cover tour planning and preparation, individual performance and behaviours, and our ability to adapt and respond effectively as circumstances require.&rdquo; said Richard Gould.

He said the team will now focus on the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup that is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka.

&quot;The men&#39;s team now moves on to Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC Men&#39;s T20 World Cup, which begins in February, and we will implement the necessary changes over the coming months.&quot; added Richard Gould.

<h2>McCullum Open to Adjustments, Not Drastic Changes</h2>

Speaking about the test series defeat, Brendon McCullum said that he is a person who believes in constant evolution. Considering that, he will now take a look where the team can improve more by utilizing new approaches.

&quot;I&#39;m all for progress and evolution in all sports. From my point of view, I have firm beliefs in what works and some areas where you want to keep improving, and some areas where you think you can evolve.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum.

The England head coach then stated firmly that he is open to suggestions, but he is not the kind of leader who will change his methods simply to satisfy the desires of others.

&quot;I&#39;m not against assistance but I also have a firm belief in how to get the best out of these players. From my point of view, I&#39;ll look at it individually and say, &#39;Right, what could I have done better?&#39; and &#39;What could I improve on?&#39; Am I for being told what to do? Of course I&#39;m not.&rdquo; said Brendon McCullum.

&quot;But at the same time, I&#39;m not pig-headed [enough] to think there&#39;s not some areas that we can improve on, and once we digest what&#39;s unfolded over the last two months and start to plot and plan a way forward, if you&#39;re the man in the chair to do so then you do so with a similar conviction in your methods - albeit with a couple of tweaks.&quot; concluded Brendon McCullum.

Brendon McCullum has admitted that England’s approach has room for improvement. He shared the statement after the ECB announced a full review of the series.

McCullum Calls for Adjustments Amid ECB’s Full Ashes Review

After winning the Ashes 2025, Australia is looking forward to the next series that will be played in England in 2027. The current group of players are excited to make a mark on that tour, however, some of them are also unsure whether they will still be active in international cricket by then.

The stand-in captain of Australia, Steve Smith, is one of those players who cannot confirm his participation for the 2027 series at this stage. He said that playing in that series is certainly his goal, but the final decision will be made based on his form and fitness at the time.

&quot;I&#39;m sure everyone&#39;s excited to go there and try and win the Ashes. It&#39;s something that I certainly haven&#39;t done in in my career, and something I&#39;d like to tick off, whether I get there or not, it&#39;s a different question.&rdquo; said Steve Smith while talking to the media.

Applauding the quality of the current squad, Smith said that Australia has a settled group for the last four or five years. He expects everyone to stick together, as winning the Ashes 2027 by getting better is the next objective.

&ldquo;The squad we&#39;ve had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better.&quot; said Australian captain, Steve Smith.

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<h2>Applauding the Skills of Alex Carey</h2>

Smith then showered praise on <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/australia-vs-england-third-test-first-day-report/2710-5-0">Alex Carey</a>, who performed tremendously well in the series. He said Carey&rsquo;s wicketkeeping throughout the series was exceptional, as it helped keep the England batters in check.

&quot;He was unbelievable with both bat and gloves, I think. Just the way he was able to go up to the stumps, in particular to the quicks. Those guys are bowling late 130s [kph] almost hitting 140s at times. And he&#39;s just taken them easy.&rdquo; said Steve Smith.

He further said that Alex Carey works very hard in the nets to keep improving his wicketkeeping abilities. It was certainly heartening to see how he stood close to the wickets bravely throughout the series, helping the bowlers to keep things tight in the middle.

&ldquo;He works incredibly hard on it. And against this opposition, we thought that was a real threat, being able to keep them stuck on their crease and not allow them to dance at our bowlers. And he just did that so well, and the guys bowling to it just reciprocated and put the ball in the right areas.&quot; added Steve Smith.

<h2>Smith Hails Mitchell Starc&rsquo;s Quality</h2>

Speaking about Mitchell Starc&rsquo;s class, Smith said he is an exceptional bowler who keeps getting better with each passing day.

&quot;Mitchell Starc was sensational, and then supported by everyone that played. I think just recognizing [the key moments] and trying to play them in real time, not getting to a situation afterwards and saying, we should have done this, we should have done that, trusting what you&#39;re trying to do, and do it to the best of your ability out there.&rdquo; said Steve Smith.

Smith then said that Australia took the advantage of home conditions to defeat England in the recent series. He added that the players in the team are performing well for a long period of time, and the depth in the squad is also very good.

&quot;Particularly in our home conditions, we obviously know them really well. We&#39;ve got a great squad of players that have been good for a long period of time, I think the last four or five years, making two Test championship finals, that probably backs that up.&rdquo; said Steve Smith.

&ldquo;We&#39;ve just got a really good depth in our squad, and everyone that gets an opportunity takes it, and it&#39;s just been great to be a part of.&quot; added Steve Smith.

Steve Smith is unsure whether he will play in the 2027 Ashes series. He said that while playing the next series in England is definitely a goal, his form and fitness will ultimately determine the decision.

Senior Australians Target Ashes 2027 as Smith Remains Unsure

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The Ashes 2025/26

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