It’s been a shocker, hasn’t it?
England’s latest humiliation in Australia will be remembered as their worst in recent times—not only for its speed but because it was a missed opportunity to reclaim the Ashes from a seemingly vulnerable opponent.
This is the anatomy of a self-inflicted defeat, from flawed selection and preparation to distractions on the beach in Noosa.
Hindsight is always sharpest, but the failings of this tour were rooted in decisions made long before the first ball was bowled. A critical opportunity was lost when Zak Crawley was injured in the summer of 2024; rather than trialling a genuine opener, England asked Dan Lawrence to fill a role to which he was ill-suited. Lawrence hasn’t been seen in a Test since.
If Jordan Cox’s broken thumb in New Zealand 12 months ago was unfortunate—depriving the squad of a much-needed reserve keeper in Australia—then the decision to send Mark Wood to the Champions Trophy proved immeasurably costly.
England desperately craved pace on this tour, yet managed to injure their fastest bowler in a tournament they were never going to win.
The support structure crumbled well before departure. Assistant coach Paul Collingwood left at the start of the home summer and was never replaced, while the identity of the fast-bowling coach for this tour remained unclear until the last minute.
Chris Woakes’ dislocated shoulder ruled him out, but two other players from England’s final Test squad against India—Jamie Overton and Liam Dawson—also didn’t make the trip. Overton had taken a break from red-ball cricket after occupying a squad spot at The Oval that could have gone to Matthew Potts, Matthew Fisher, or Sam Cook.
The omission of Dawson—or any frontline spinner—left England without pragmatic cover for the struggling Shoaib Bashir.
Even the announcement of the Ashes squad felt like an anticlimactic prologue. While the British & Irish Lions unveiled their touring party to 2,000 fans at London’s O2 Arena, England hurried out a press release with no notice, timed just hours after the death of legendary umpire Dickie Bird.
When it came, the 12-month uncertainty over Ollie Pope’s role continued as he was replaced as vice-captain, adding fuel to the unresolved debate around Jacob Bethell.
Director of cricket Rob Key did not explain the squad until a full 24 hours later, at which point he announced the end of Chris Woakes’ international career—a moment that rightly belonged to the player himself.
By James Kisoo
