England aren’t yet out of the 2025/26 Ashes – but according to Matthew Hayden, a series loss could be a career-ender for several members of the touring squad.
The visitors started strongly from a dire position on Day 3 in Adelaide, with Ben Stokes posting the slowest half-century of his career and bringing up a 50-run stand for the ninth wicket with Jofra Archer.
However, with England remaining more than 100 runs behind Australia’s first innings total, Hayden believes the series could follow a growing trend of tours down under.
“This is a juicy statistic right here – because this could not only be the death of Bazball but it could be the death of careers,” Hayden said on Channel 7.
“Of the 50 players that have been used here in Australia since 2002/3, 26 of those have ended their Test careers here in Australia.
“We are not talking about small names either … Jos Buttler, Graeme Swan, these are huge names.
“It could be RIP Ashes, and it could also be RIP careers.”
England commentary doyen and former Test player David Lloyd agreed, saying another humiliation in Australia could prompt action from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“There will be a massive reaction: Ashes cricket in jeopardy, and there is definitely consequence,” Lloyd said.
“I can tell you those big guns from the ECB, the governing body, they are all here.
“England have lost nine out of 12 Test matches way from home. Haydos is dead right – there are always consequences and there will be a change.
“Ashes cricket tends to go in a cycle … get a blank sheet of paper and start again. There will be careers.”
O’Keeffe blasts McCullum over Bazball tactics
Kerry O’Keeffe has criticised England coach Brendon McCullum over his lack of focus on his batting line-up’s techniques, amid a thorough working over of the tourists’ top order throughout this series.
The team’s famously aggressive batting approach has backfired in Australia, where a combination of extra bounce and sideways movement and the hosts’ skilled bowling attack has seen them only post more than 250 once across the first two Tests.
Speaking on Fox Cricket, O’Keeffe pointed at the Englishmen being ill-equipped to defend safely in Australia – save for captain Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer – laying the blame at McCullum’s feet.
“The two best technicians on the day were Archer and the captain Stokes,” O’Keeffe said.
“Six out of eight Englishman were out defending.
“Brendon McCullum has said ‘I am trying to free their minds of fear of failure and fascination with technique’. Well, I’m sorry, but Test cricket is all about technique.
“You’ve got to be able to defend. Six of the eight wickets fell to faulty techniques yesterday.
“It’s obvious that unless you’re technically strong, you’re vulnerable.”
The Roarhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/12/19/rip-careers-haydos-tips-england-cull-with-ashes-loss-okeeffe-whacks-mccullum-over-bazball-tactics-talking-points/‘RIP careers’: Haydos tips England cull with Ashes loss, O’Keeffe whacks McCullum over Bazball tactics – Talking points
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