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There exists a fascinating masterclass segment with Brendon McCullum alongside Rob Key. Filmed during 2016, it shows the two men in a state of youthful vigour, laughing during a session nominally discussing the art of hitting.

Their rapport between them feels undeniable. It feels romantic comedy energy. This is the essence of McCullum’s mindset: a focus on entering mental clarity above all else.

“My plan is to hit the ball over there, sometimes somewhere else,” McCullum says with a shrug. When asked about his quick hands, he replies: “I don’t really know.”

It’s no great revelation to learn that a McCullum masterclass is devoid of complex technical detail. The insight comes from hearing an incredibly successful batter describe a philosophy of keeping things simple. He admits his red-ball approach came from due to the fact “at the highest level I never really had a defensive game capable of withstanding quality bowling.”

The Central Dilemma: Is a Motivational Figure Manage a Major Campaign?

This raises an essential question: Would you ask the instinctive thinker to plan, overseeing, and meticulously managing a gruelling Ashes tour? Furthermore, what if this approach subsequently falters due to inadequate preparation? Do you then ask him to have another go, to change a methodology built on paring it back?

By now, McCullum can seem like a corporate motivational speaker whose one-trick message got applied to running a national sports team. He can be an effective inspirational figure is not in doubt. But that doesn’t mean he is equipped to run all the corporate accounting.

Judgement Must Come

For this reason, the head coach must now be judged by normal rules of performance, whatever the final result this weekend. There is an argument that each side might benefit in the long run from losing the last match.

However, this would be an error to become sidetracked should England secure a final win. Nothing has changed. The primary job of McCullum and Key was to manage the preparations and handle the logistics. You do not reward a failure of planning just due to the players were good enough to overcome it afterwards.

Keeping this clarity could be difficult if the team win or draw in Sydney. Plenty of side-shows are present. The host nation's response to losing at the MCG was wildly exaggerated, including trials of the groundsman to essays on the death of warrior culture. This is all distractingly feelgood for English supporters.

Avoid the Distractions

• Don’t be misled because the fourth Test was a genuinely good win irrespective of controversy over conditions.
• Do not be distracted by the approaching global white-ball tournament, a competition which pop up with relentless frequency.
• Above all, don’t lose sight that replacing the management will not solve the deep-rooted structural problems of the domestic game.

In fact, the final point is key. Hiring of convincing amateurs for top jobs; the tolerance of slackness, jobs for the boys, and spinning your own shortcuts: this is symptomatic of much of what is wrong with the sport.

The Precedent of Poor Preparation

Hence consequences must exist. What message is sent should it emerge you can get away with not having adequate preparation matches, going without a fielding coach, failing to schedule a pink-ball practice for players unfamiliar with the conditions?

Consider also every other logistical misstep, right down to the strange treatment of Shoaib Bashir, ultimately replaced by Will Jacks. If such oversights are ignored, then nothing really matters.

Prior to Sydney, attempts to rewrite history have started. Arguments are made it was acceptable to have no warm-ups as England did it previously and won. Such reasoning conveniently ignores critical context, such as other teams lacked preparation, while Australia were primed and ready. The fact that you succeeded once without revising is no justification for abandoning revision altogether.

The Captain’s Verdict and The Future

The main argument for retaining McCullum and Key centres on lessons can be learned from this experience. The notion that the coach might develop meticulous planning to his inspirationalism is intriguing. His super-strength has been simplification. How would ‘Baz’ with data briefings actually look like?

Ben Stokes is now pivotal. His mid-series comments felt like emergency attempt to inject rigour and accountability behind the team’s loose philosophy. He will provide to give his own tour review. A clear, impartial account could well leave McCullum in serious trouble, and the director required to admit a lack of oversight.

The final Test presents a chance for another victory. Yet this must not be permitted to obscure these facts. There is a need for accountability, for stakes, and for a forensic eye on how the tour was run. This is Test cricket that still matters.