Michael Vaughan openly blames Brendon McCullum for England’s Ashes 2025–26 struggles

England’s Ashes 2025-26 campaign in Australia is heading towards another heartbreaking ending, with the famous urn once again slipping out of their reach. Ben Stokes and Co. have found themselves already under immense pressure, having lost the first two Tests, and the ongoing third Test at Adelaide has only made things worse for the touring side.

Australia is all but sure to retain the Urn, thanks to Travis Head’s brilliant hundred on Day 3 of the ongoing third Ashes 2025-26 Test at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide. With a huge lead of 356 runs and six wickets still in hand, Australia is all set to hand England another heavy Ashes series defeat.

Bazball falters in Australia as England stare at another Ashes defeat

Ben Stokes and his team arrived in Australia full of confidence, carrying their aggressive Bazball style that worked well in other conditions. But on fast, bouncy Australian pitches, their famous Bazball approach has fallen apart. English batters have struggled to balance attack with patience, and quick collapses have become just another thing for this team in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26.

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If England faces defeat in the ongoing Adelaide Test of the five-match Test series, it will be their fourth straight Test series loss in Australia, and their winless run will stretch to 17 matches down under. And if that happens, the major changes in the test setup would be unavoidable.

Reacting to the current situation, former England captain Michael Vaughan feels this is not the time for panic. He warned the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) against following the past paths where they often brought complete overhaul after Ashes losses to Australia.

A bad experience is better than no experience: Michael Vaughan

The commentator has indirectly blamed head coach Brendon McCullum for the disaster. Michael Vaughan pointed out that the current English Test team have talent and skills, but they need good coaching, smarter management, and better preparation for success. Michael Vaughan also stressed that even bad experiences help players grow, especially in challenging places like Australia.

Michael Vaughan told the Ashes Debrief on BBC iPlayer: “English cricket often works in four-year cycles, home and away Ashes series. One or two players need to go because they aren’t good enough at this level, but a number of them have enough talent.

If they are coached and managed correctly and given the right kind of preparation, they are going to be fine in four years. It’s the only way I can see that English cricket can possibly be competitive in Australia, if they stick with some of the players that have the experience. A bad experience is better than no experience.”

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Michael Vaughan urges England to learn from pain

The cricket pundit recalled England’s 2002-03 tour of Australia when their only victory helped them learn lessons that shaped their future. Even if they lose the Ashes 2025-26 series, Vaughan believes the upcoming tests in Melbourne and Sydney still matter a lot for the touring side.

However, the former England captain Michael Vaughan doesn’t think the senior players like Ben Stokes or Joe Root will return for another Ashes tour in Australia. Vaughan signed off by saying:

“I look back to 2002-03; we were 4-0 down and won in Sydney. I learned a lot about the next few years from winning that one game. England can’t think there is nothing to gain from the next two games. If this goes wrong, and it looks like it may do, Melbourne and Sydney are still opportunities to learn for the next time they come or the next time they play Australia.”