Just coasting

England players need introduction to the concept of consequences

- Mark Ramprakash

There’s always a lot of white noise around an Ashes series but at the moment for England it must be overwhelming, not just given their performances in the first two Tests but because of the mid-tour break they’ve just been on, with assorted media and attention-seekers following them around the beaches of Noosa.

I absolutely understand that Brendon McCullum’s priority is to do what he believes is right for the team, but the optics were not great and many England fans, who have spent their hard-earned money travelling to Australia with little reward so far, will be quick to bring it up if they produce another poor display.

Having just been rewarded for their two defeats with anice few days of Queensland sunshine, it may now be time for the team to be introduced to the concept of consequences. They aren’t something this group have had to deal with for a while. The consistency of selection has been amazing, with players protected asa matter of policy from the threat of losing their place.

McCullum is promising more of the same but I think the players will be realising that they, and beyond them the coaches, are not immune if fortunes do not change. I expect the group will have acknowledged that what they have done so far has not worked. They want to play with freedom, to take the aggressive option, but are they playing to entertain or are they playing to win? Because at the moment they are losing, and the only people they are entertaining are Australian.