Season 2025-6 was about transition. Australia impressively featured younger squad members who have impressed all summer. Sadly, superb individual efforts did not equal team tangible results for tourists. England featured future stars but failed collectively. Australia had replacements superbly performing in place of established players: Boland, Neser, Weatherald and Webster became mainstays rather than utility players. The two themes were Australian team depth on display and the inescapable reality of the death of Bazball. Despite the sentiments of enthusiasts, a 4-1 Ashes drubbing proves Bazball should not and never should have functioned as a modus operandi. It is a spent tactic necessitating revision by team England.
The Future Australians
Scott Boland in passing 50 Test wickets this domestic summer proved that he has earned selection in multiple conditions, further that he far exceeds specialisation. He is better than the proverbial “horse for the course”. Even in a place like the subcontinent, he could bowl economically and frustrate oppositions, specifically “stump to stump” or on a sixpence affecting a flawlessly consistent line on or outside off-stump, reminiscent of Vernon Philander, Merv Hughes, or Glenn McGrath. That he will not register the international statistics that reflect his contribution is obvious, but while in form he needs selecting as often as possible as he has proved a reliable match winner. His first forays in the subcontinent were uninspiring; it is regrettable that at Lords versus South Africa he was unselected. With a Dukes Ball, Boland is likely to be as effective as Rabada, Ngidi, Nortje or Bosch. His very presence will ensure a contest. In the present, he is a superb replacement for any injured bowler, being the proverbial super substitute. Like NZ seamer Matt Henry and Michael Neser, he is a proven match winner. It is hopeful that he lasts two or three further seasons to at least pass 100 Test wickets, a milestone which he deserves and would be a token demonstration of his true abilities.
Michael Neser like Boland and Webster is a forgotten man of Aussie cricket: 22 wickets in five Tests is hardly a measure of the ability of a veteran of 119 first-class matches 428 wickets and 4039 runs. Like Boland, he will hopefully play another two or three seasons for Australia and his statistics will reflect his abilities.
Jake Weatherald has been drafted into the Test Squad and seems in fine form with an uncanny knack to punish short and errant length. Despite fine form, Weatherald seems suspect against the good or classic Test length. Domestic seamers like Mark Steketee have induced false shots with such a length. It was arguably erroneous selecting Weatherald for Perth when local Cameron Bancroft, had just registered 122 versus a largely seam based South Australian attack in the previous Shield match in Perth. The selectors chose young talent over the proverbial horse for the course, which means Weatherald will need to assume the role of junior partner as Langer did with Hayden and Watson with Katich until he becomes adequately familiar with Test conditions.
The opener slot must be solidified even if it means recalling someone who has had Test and county experience such as Bancroft or Harris, even temporarily. McSweeney, Kellaway and Konstas will eventually all feature in the Australian setup. Inglis will probably feature in the middle order for solidarity to replace Khawaja but the opening combination of Head and Weatherald needs persisting with. Head and Weatherald competed at youth level in South Australia; in the tradition of wonderful Shield opening partnerships such as Taylor and Slater, Head and Weatherald need to equal domestic success, but the solidarity they have produced should be a benchmark. Konstas has recently done superbly versus Queensland, the temporary demotion suited him. Despite Konstas scoring 116 and 53 in a 341 run victory versus Queensland in early December[1], Weatherald is clearly the preferable opening option. Head scored three centuries while partnering Weatherald, who has been the junior partner all season, but needs retaining as he allows Head to thrive in the chief opener slot.
Beau Webster, a veteran of 113 First-Class matches is a superb all-round prospect and will be a viable backup seam and spin option. Webster has had Test experience, his off spin may prove ineffective, but may aid over-rates, and his seamers may prove effective relief even for Lyon. Batting is likely to be his currency in the Australian team. His considerable height will facilitate quality strokeplay and shot making. If selected, he will more than likely play rookies to Australia like Atkinson and Carse well, taking advantage of their lack of familiarity. Stokes, Archer, Wood and Tongue may enjoy mixed success against him. Webster may enjoy some success against Archer and Tongue, when they inevitably err in length; he will inevitably use his feet to spinners. However, the gift Archer and Tongue have for fast-surprising deliveries may mean Webster needs observe the Shastri technique of using his height to aid his defence. Additionally, Webster will need to employ the Kevin Pietersen technique of running at the bowlers to disrupt their length. This will be invaluable when playing against all who lack Test experience in Australian conditions. Furthermore, should Green ever be absent, his ability to take fielding space of two fielders is the equal of Green. Future series in NZ and England should feature him. Suffice to say, his ability to use his feet will make subcontinental and West Indian tours advisable. He can also support bowlers with spin and seam. His abilities across formats will make him an asset for at least the next five seasons and possibly a few more. Webster was dubbed the modern incarnation of legendary all-rounder Tony Greig by legendary player and commentator Kerry O’Keeffe. Consistency could produce similar statistics due to versatile skills and suitability across formats. His return to the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League (BBL) was impressive since his return from Test duty.
Season 2025-6 is an important one for the future of Australian cricket as it will determine who retires and continues for the foreseeable future.
The retirement of Khawaja is significant as he is arguably the last Australian player with the subcontinental supple wrist, but also the classic English languidness and elegance of yore. The classicism of Gower, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Ian Bell, Hashim Amla and Dave Whatmore could be seen at several junctures during his career. While Steve Smith was more consistent and a cult favourite, Khawaja was a purists’ delight. Just as Smith and Warner need to teach their modern approach, Khawaja will be invaluable for subcontinental and English conditions. Despite injuries causing inconsistency, he was the finest player when fit. Suffice to say, every team should contain at least one batter like Root and Khawaja. To do anything less would be to forget the contribution and significance of the likes of Bradman and Sobers.
One disturbing statistic to note is the two youngest players in the Perth Test Squad were 26 and 30, locals Cameron Green and Josh Inglis respectively, all other squad members are 31 or older. This is perhaps not as dramatic or worrisome as it appears when cricket tragics the world over consider that Michael Hussey did not play his first Test match till age 30 and he retired with 6235 runs in 79 matches at 51.52, including 19 centuries. Hopefully, all will prove as consistent as Hussey and a bowler like Cummins or Lyon, but youngsters are important to counter a mass exodus. On two notable occasions in recent cricketing memory, 1984 and 2007, mass exodii occurred. 1984 saw the retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh, 2007 of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Significantly, 2007 was less an exodus and more a chain reaction as Gilchrist and Brett Lee soon followed suit in 2008. In both eras the rebuilding process took at least five years. It is plausible to suggest that Cummins’ captaincy has finally seen a return to form by Team Australia not seen since Ponting. Suffice to say current depth in Australian cricket means a seamer such as Doggett can replace Starc and Murphy can replace Lyon. There are a multitude of state and short form players that are ready to graduate to the traditional form, but it is crucial this happens before any forced retirements.
Fortunately, the above appears to be happening with the selection of Doggett. Doggett is tall and physically reminiscent of Starc and Hazlewood. He can bowl bouncers but needs to bowl a traditional length of off-stump and just outside; bouncers, slower deliveries and yorkers, should comprise surprise elements. He will inevitably be dropped but make a return before too long. He should be used in Australia, not overseas yet and he should partner as many fellow bowlers as possible till the winning combination is found. A word about Australian depth. Australia is in an enviable position because Green and Webster are bowlers that also can thrive in the middle order and Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill are batsmen that can be picked as bowling options to fill the void left by the likes of Hazlewood, Starc and Boland and perform all-round duty batting in both the middle and lower order alternately. Doggett and Neser would be a viable combination for Australia and need to be sampled in sooner rather than later.
The construction of the Australia spin attack must happen gradually and at several stages: It may be that Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy and Rocchiccioli could be selected to bowl in tandem when spin is required as Warne and May or McGill. Murphy may surprise against Stokes. One error he must avoid is setting the same field for each player like Lyon in his early career and instead take the Warne approach of assessing players individually. In the modern era, classical and basic technique is frequently neglected, and a spinner must feature in every lineup.
The English Stars and the Death of Bazball: A Soap Opera and Pyrrhic Victory
The English Ashes campaign was a team disaster. Very fittingly and sardonically Ashes 2025-6 was true to the folklore: The Ashes had its genesis when English cricket died in 1877 and hopefully this team will resurrect with the Death of Bazball. A 4-1 drubbing qualified as a procession, despite superb individual performances: Two superb centuries by Joe Root, 22 wickets by Carse, 15 wickets and two half-centuries by captain Stokes, 18 wickets by Tongue, 10 wickets and a half-century by Archer and 154 filled with classicism by Jacob Bethell. England players shone, Team England underperformed and Bazball proved counterintuitive and a failure. A potential winning side was selected, Bazball proved the weakest link.
Perhaps it qualifies as a personal opinion, but Bazball should serve as tactic not a modus operandi or team approach. Joe Root, with two centuries, will occasionally get inventive to ruin bowler line and length and play a reverse sweep. However, his classic repertoire was the highlight of the English batting effort. The other English Ashes centurion, Jacob Bethell registered a majestic 154 in Sydney with elegant strokes and retro use of feet. Bethell amended his cavalier Bazball approach from Melbourne in which one expansive shot too many saw him dismissed for 40. It took two innings for him to correct his technique from modern to classical. This was a correction Ben Duckett failed to make, and Jamie Smith, Harry Brook and Will Jacks needed to employ more often. Crawley and especially Stokes were attacking but needed superior concentration. Their failure to affect basics, was telling. Their fielding was at times as poor as 90’s teams captained by Atherton and Hussain and even bowlers like Carse, the top English wicket taker, bowled too many loose deliveries. His skill did not match his passion. For players like Jamie Smith, Carse and Ben Duckett, unfamiliarity in foreign conditions was obvious. Players like Jacks and Bethell deserved better than honourable mentions. Brendon McCullum deserves credit for building a superb team, for transforming Ben Stokes from superb player to champion captain, but his coaching style has become obvious to oppositions and has outlived its spectacle. Root and Bethell proved England need a return to basics.
Season 2025-6 was about transition. Australia has already started introducing younger squad members who have impressed all summer. Sadly, superb individual efforts did not equal team results for the tourists. England featured future stars but failed collectively. Australia had replacements performing in place of established players: Boland, Neser, Weatherald and Webster became mainstays rather than utility players. The Australian summer and Ashes series was notable for the death of Bazball: Despite the sentiments of enthusiasts, a 4-1 Ashes drubbing proves Bazball should not function as a modus operandi. It is a spent tactic necessitating a change of team approach.
[1] https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/sheffield-shield-2025-26-1495274/new-south-wales-vs-queensland-17th-match-1495295/match-report-3 ***
Rob's Ramblings 