McCullum says England ‘trained too much’ as Stokes questions mentality after Ashes loss

Brisbane, 7 December 2025:

England coach Brendon McCullum says his side may have “trained too much,” while captain Ben Stokes questioned the team’s mindset after an eight-wicket loss to Australia in the second Test in Brisbane.

England showed brief resistance on the final day but still slipped to a 2-0 deficit in the five-match Ashes series. Their preparation has been under scrutiny, with the tourists playing only one intra-squad warm-up match before the tour and opting against a pink-ball practice game ahead of the day-night Test.

“We had five intense training sessions leading into this game,” McCullum told BBC Test Match Special. “Sometimes there’s a tendency to overdo things to make up for it. If anything, we trained too much.

“As we all know, this game is played in the top two inches. We all have to make sure we’re ready physically and technically, but also fresh enough to make good decisions in the heat of battle.”

Stokes held firm for 50 off 152 balls on the final day, but after Will Jacks fell, England lost 4 for 17, leaving Australia a target of just 65.

Stokes rejected the idea that England’s issues stem from lack of ability and instead challenged his team’s composure in critical passages of play.

“They’re all incredibly talented players, but if you can’t put it down to skill, you start to wonder what it is,” Stokes said. “Do we need to think about what mentality we’re taking into those pressure moments?

“When we’re on top we’re great, and when we’re behind we’re also very good, but when the moment is neck-and-neck, we’re not coming out on top often enough.”