England legend Geoffrey Boycott has lashed out at the head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes after Australia won its fifth straight Ashes urn on Sunday (December 21) in Adelaide. Australia crushed England by 82 runs in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval to take a 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.
Earlier, in the first two tests, Ben Stokes and his team could not even survive for more than three days, and now their heavy loss in Adelaide has reignited debate over their ultra-aggressive Bazball style introduced by Brendon McCullum and the skipper himself.
Geoffrey Boycott says Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes must change or resign
After Australia sealed the Ashes 2025-26, the Bazball approach is now being blamed for their downfall. In the beginning, Bazball felt like a breath of fresh air in Test cricket. England played fearless cricket, players backed their instincts, and the results were also impressive.
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But the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 has shown the cracks. England kept attacking even when the match situation clearly demanded patience, control, and smarter decisions, and now Geoffrey Boycott has launched a brutal attack on the leadership group for promoting such a mindset.
The well-known broadcaster believes that England has confused confidence with overconfidence. Boycott has pointed out that the Test team is so committed to playing one way that they have stopped reading the game properly, and that stubborn approach has hurt them badly Down Under.
Lot of credit should go to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes: Geoffrey Boycott
He openly blamed McCullum and Stokes for another Ashes loss for England and strongly demanded they stay away from Bazball if they want to survive in the Test cricket.
Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “A lot of credit should go to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes for what they have done for our cricket, but it is obvious that Bazball has run its race. Hubris has taken over from common sense, and that cannot be allowed to carry on.”
He added, “Stokes and McCullum are like men digging a hole to nowhere. If what you are doing isn’t working, then stop digging. Change is absolutely necessary to step up to the next level.”
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Geoffrey Boycott questions Ben Stokes’ captaincy, warns England against blind aggression
The former England batter also raised questions about Ben Stokes as captain. He admitted that the star all-rounder is an important player for the team, but he is not above accountability. Boycott called for Stokes to adjust his own attacking instincts for the team’s balance.
Boycott has openly demanded the sacking of Stokes and McCullum if the captain and coach are not ready to move away from that aggressive approach, as it will only lead to their further downfall in the longest format of the game.
He signed off by saying, “You do not want to lose him, but if he doesn’t see that a change of attitude is needed, then you have to find a new captain.”
The rest of the two Ashes Tests will be played at Melbourne and Sydney on December 26 and January 4, respectively, and the England side must be keen on saving their pride Down Under.
