'Blaming white-ball cricket is easy' - Michael Vaughan attributes England's red-ball decline to lack of first-class cricket

Former England batter and Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan has kept England’s ongoing bad patch equivalent to the one the white-ball team had to endure during 2015. Vaughan’s remarks come after the Joe Root-led unit received a thrashing at the hands of arch-rivals Australia, who have sealed the Ashes already with three wins in the first three encounters, with two Tests to go.

England’s Test record in Australia has been unimpressive for long, and the visiting unit has been found wanting once again, with three comprehensive defeats thus far; the most recent one coming during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which England lost by an innings and 14 runs after a horrendous collapse.

“It [the current bad patch] is the equivalent of the 2015 World Cup in Australia when we realized we had to change our approach. They were lucky in 2019 when they drew the series at home to Australia and they failed to realize that and address their faults. The Aussies should have beaten us in 2019 and they will hammer us in 2023 if we do not act quickly,” Vaughan observed in his column for The Telegraph.

We have allowed first-class cricket to rot: Michael Vaughan

Refuting the recent claims of white-ball cricket being the reason behind England’s red-ball decline, Vaughan stated it to be only an escape route and a manner to cloak the reality. The 47-year-old attributed the lack of attention given by players to First-Class cricket as the major reason behind England’s current condition.

“Blaming white-ball cricket is easy. It has nothing to do with that. We have just taken our eye off the ball and allowed first-class cricket to rot. We have created a system and pathway program where players are told to be themselves.”

“That means different and quirky techniques. You will not last long periods against Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood on a pitch doing a bit with a quirky technique,” Vaughan added.

Vaughan further reckoned that England needs “stronger leadership” while adding that he cannot see any player in the offing to takeover the captaincy duties from the incumbent Joe Root.

“When I look at this England Test team, I do not see a readymade leader to replace Joe Root. Root might be frazzled but he has enjoyed the best year ever by an English batsman so captaincy is not affecting that side of his job. He will need to change though. This England side needs stronger leadership.”