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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 60% vets improved under Bazball per Cricket Index.
- 2🏆 Root T20 avg 40+ in 2025 surge.
- 3💡 Stokes SR up 20%, but not all gain.
- 4🔮 2026 series test management commitment.
- 5💬 Root: 'All players improved.'
"Ashes: Have England's veterans improved under McCullum?"
Joe Root backs McCullum-Stokes post-Ashes loss, claiming all 2019-21 Down Under players improved. BBC Sport's stat dive verifies via Cricket Index, questioning Bazball's veteran uplift. Debate rages on management commitment.
Pre-McCullum Struggles vs Now
2021 Ashes whitewash saw Root avg 15; now post-Baz, metrics mixed—Stokes SR up 20%, but others lag. Historical shifts like Flecker's 2005 refresh worked.
Data tells tale.
Stats Verdict on Improvements
Root's T20 form surged (avg 40+ 2025), Foakes stable, but Bess declined. Overall, 60% vets show gains in strike/aggression.
Bazball transforms selectively.
"We're committed to management—players have improved." – Joe Root, post-Ashes.
Nuanced picture emerges.
Management's Test Ahead
2026 cycles loom; data guides tweaks. Crucial for England rebuild fans.
