5 major reasons why England should change captain & playing style in Test Cricket

It was believed that Bazball would change England’s Test cricket forever, but now the opposite is happening.

England arrived in Australia for the Ashes 2025-26 with their chests puffed out, slogans ready, and full of enthusiasm, embracing the Bazball approach.

This was meant to be the series that defined them. Instead, it ended exactly how most Ashes tours end for England – heads down with another 4-1 scoreline staring at them. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have given England energy, no doubt.

But, since Stokes took over in 2022, England have won around 23 out of 42 Tests, which looks great on paper. However, cricket is not played on paper. Most of those wins came at home, on friendly pitches, with crowds behind them. When it came to real pressure, real hostility, the team cracked.

Here are five major reasons why the English team should seriously consider changing both their Test captain and their playing style.

1. One playing style, no flexibility

This is the biggest issue. England play one way- Attack. Whether it’s a green seamer at Headingley, a rank turner in India, or a bouncy pitch overseas, the approach barely changes. That’s brave, yes, but it’s also risky and sometimes, just stupid.

Test cricket is about reading the situation. Sometimes you attack. Sometimes you defend. Sometimes you survive. England seem allergic to the word “survive”.

Under Stokes and McCullum, it often feels like ego cricket. Like they’re trying to prove a point instead of winning sessions. In Test cricket, sessions matter more than vibes.

2. Overseas performances are still weak

This is where the alarm bells ring. For all the talk of change, England have won most of their matches at home, struggling on away soil. India, Australia, New Zealand even parts of Pakistan – the pattern is the same: fast collapses, poor shot selection, and bowlers overworked.

A top Test side should be able to adapt to any condition. However, England were unable or unwilling to do so. There were situations in the series against these sides where, if England had chosen to bat sensibly, they would have won a lot more matches overseas.

That comes back to leadership. If the message is always “be positive”, players stop thinking; they just swing. When that fails, there is no Plan B. That’s why everyone can see the panic in England in this series.

3. Confused selection shows weak direction

This has been the story since the Bazball era began- a mess selection-wise. Ollie Pope gets backed, then dropped. Crawley and Duckett are collapsing. Jamie Smith gets backed and then sometimes looks lost.

The spinner conundrum, as the likes of Root and Jacks get to bowl as no specialist spinner plays. Pace attack looks weary with no Archer and Wood.

It feels like England are guessing sometimes. Strong leadership means clarity. It means knowing who you trust. It means backing players properly, not half-heartedly. Right now, England look unsure of themselves. That starts at the top.

4. McCullum’s influence is too dominant

Brendon McCullum has done a lot of good. He changed the culture. He removed fear, which matters in intense match situations.

But now, it feels like his philosophy is running the team more than logic. The same press lines, the same smile after losses. The same “we liked how we played” even when England have been hammered. At some point, positivity becomes denial.

Test cricket is brutal; it exposes weaknesses. You don’t fix those by laughing them off. You fix them by admitting them. England doesn’t think much of it right now.

5. Stokes the Leader vs Stokes the Player

This is sensitive, but important. Ben Stokes is a hero of English cricket. No question. But as captain, he is asking his team to play a brand of cricket that even he cannot always execute physically anymore.

Although Stokes sets an example as a leader, there are certain points where he goes missing. His bowling is limited because his body is getting weaker. His energy gets drained. Yet, the team is built around intensity, aggression, and chaos- that disconnect shows.

When the captain cannot fully lead from the front, the message weakens, and the team feels it. Since Stokes took over the captaincy, there have been several instances where he has gone missing. The reasons might be injury or preventive measures taken to avoid injury. We have seen the likes of Pope and Brook being the stand-in captain when Stokes goes missing.

Although Stokes has been a fabulous servant of English cricket, he is at a point where it seems the body is taking over more than his will. Sometimes, leadership is about timing. Knowing when your chapter is done.

This is not about sacking people. It’s not about disrespect. It’s about reality. Stokes and McCullum brought life back into English cricket. Right now, England are exciting… but unstable. Entertaining… but unreliable. Loud… but fragile.

England needs to ask itself a difficult question –Are we building a team that looks fearless, or a team that is actually strong?

Because in Test, strength lasts longer than style. With the arrival of new players, England will have to think very carefully and quickly about where they truly want to take this.

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