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There exists a telling piece of footage featuring the England coach alongside Rob Key. Filmed during 2016, it shows the two men exuding easy camaraderie, laughing on the outfield while discussing the art of hitting.

Their rapport between them is palpable. It feels like an intrusion. It embodies the essence of McCullum’s mindset: a focus on entering a relaxed state above all else.

“I try to hit it in that direction, occasionally over there,” McCullum explains with a shrug. Questioned regarding his fast hands, his response is: “I don’t really know.”

It’s no great revelation to learn that a McCullum masterclass is devoid of complex technical content. The insight lies in seeing an incredibly successful batter articulate an approach of instinct and simplicity. McCullum concedes his red-ball approach was transferable due to the fact “in Test cricket I never really had a defensive game that was going to withstanding top-class attacks.”

A Fundamental Issue: Is a Motivational Figure Run an Ashes Tour?

This raises a crucial query: Should you entrust this same instinctive thinker with planning, overseeing, and meticulously managing a gruelling Ashes tour? Furthermore, consider that this approach subsequently falters due to inadequate preparation? Do you then ask him to try again, to adapt a life approach centred around paring it back?

At this point, the coach can seem akin to an inspirational guru whose one-trick message got applied to running a national sports team. He can be an effective culture-setter is not in doubt. But that doesn’t mean he is equipped to oversee all the minute logistical planning.

Judgement Must Come

This is precisely why, the head coach must now be held to account under standard measures of performance, whatever the final result in Sydney. There is a case suggesting each side could be better served in the long run from losing the last match.

However, this would be an error to become distracted should England secure late-series victory. Nothing has changed. The core responsibility for the leadership was to oversee the environment and prep the details. One cannot reward a failure of planning just due to the talent on the field were good enough to overcome it afterwards.

Maintaining this clarity could be hard if the team avoid defeat in Sydney. Plenty of side-shows are present. The Australian reaction to losing at the MCG was wildly exaggerated, from criticism of the pitch to lamentations about the decline of traditional values. This is highly comforting fodder for English supporters.

Don’t Be Misled

• Do not be misled because the fourth Test was an excellent victory despite controversy over conditions.
• Don’t be distracted by the approaching global white-ball tournament, an event which pop up with relentless frequency.
• Do not lose sight of the fact changing the coach will not solve the chronic systemic issues within English cricket.

In fact, the final point is key. The appointment of convincing amateurs to the highest roles; the tolerance of slackness, jobs for the boys, and PR-ing your own shortcuts: this embodies much of what is wrong with the sport.

The Precedent of Poor Preparation

This is why accountability must exist. What precedent is sent should it emerge you can get away with not having adequate preparation matches, going without a dedicated fielding coach, or not organising a day-night practice game for squad members unfamiliar with a pink ball?

Add to this all the fine detail, right down to the strange treatment of Shoaib Bashir, who was dropped for Will Jacks. If none of that matters, then that standards are meaningless.

Prior to Sydney, revisionism have started. Some suggest it was acceptable to have no warm-ups as England did it previously and were victorious. This logic overlooks critical context, such as past opponents were also underprepared, while Australia were primed and ready. Just because you succeeded once without studying is no justification for abandoning revision altogether.

The Path Forward and Stokes’s Key Role

The main argument for retaining the current regime is that lessons can be learned from these mistakes. The idea that the coach could add meticulous planning to his motivational skills remains unproven. His super-strength is paring it back. How would ‘Baz’ with data briefings actually look like?

Ben Stokes becomes the key figure. His mid-series comments seemed an emergency attempt to introduce some substance behind the loose philosophy. Stokes will be asked to deliver his own tour review. An honest, unvarnished assessment might easily leave McCullum in serious trouble, and the director forced to own up to a lack of oversight.

Sydney offers a chance for another victory. But it should not be permitted to obscure these facts. There is a need for accountability, for jeopardy, and for a forensic eye on performance. It is a reminder that Test cricket that still matters.