England’s wretched performance in the Ashes – which saw the side lose three tests and so the series to Australia last week – has been more abject than even the most inspired pessimist could have imagined.
No sane observer expected England to win against Australia, but to lose the five match series little more than two days into the third test was a pitiful show.
Inevitably, even as England continue to play the fourth test this week, there have been calls for a cricketing inquest. The standard of the domestic game, the structure of the English season and England’s pivot towards the one day and T20 formats are all expected to be blamed for the woeful performance.
But the official pathologists examining England’s corpse should focus on more immediate causes of death: England’s inept bureaucracy, blinkered planning, and the team’s complete overreliance on data.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in