Some arrogance is good for individual Sportsmen. But Stokes and McCallum are totally intransigent. They will not admit they are wrong. Not playing a couple of competitive games before the Test was ridiculous. Playing shots that get you out in Australian conditions is just pig headed.
What an unlikeable, arrogant bunch the management are. Not just McCullum, who’s a real tosser, but Key, Stokes & Brook all come across as very much up themselves. English cricket has funded a very expensive 3.5 year campaign that all led to a way to an away win the Ashes. These players / management have had the best of everything- huge contracts, first class travel & hotels, the lot. If we can’t expect humility, the least we can expect is the great game not being treated like 2 days of baseball.
Both Stokes and Mc Callum are really irritating me now. They will not bend or agree that they got it wrong. Their answer to our problem is to go harder in the same vein. Key is big mates with Zac Crawley’s Dad. It explains why he keeps on getting picked. Stokes at the start of the Test calling out Vaughan as a has been was disrespectful and wrong. England seem to be digging themselves into a hole. I can only see them losing 5-0.
McCullum’s post match comments suggest to me he’s more interested in “building his brand” for the lucrative franchise contracts that will follow when he’s fired. I have thought for some time now - since the New Zealand away series - that he’s doing enormous damage to England Test cricket. Under Baz ball we only bully the minnows at home - his record against the big boys incl away is poor.