Australia wants Test team clean out with captain, coach, Warner all gone

There has been a staggering response after an underwhelming end to Australia’s Ashes campaign with calls for a Test team clean out.

Australia may have retained the Ashes, but Pat Cummins’ side finishes a memorable series in England with more questions than answers about its future.

Cummins’ tenure as captain is foremost among them after he was regularly criticised for losing control in the field as England inflicted its Bazball strategy with devastating effect.

Former Victoria skipper Darren Berry has predicted Cummins will resign before the start of the Aussie summer as most pundits dislike for bowler-captains remains unmoved.

There are also questions being asked of coach Andrew McDonald after Australia’s tactics regularly came unstuck.

It didn’t help that Ricky Ponting was in the commentary box for four of the five Tests, delivering the type of tactical insight that’s securing his legacy as one of the all-time great cricket minds.

While there was focus on Australia’s bowling all series, its contrasting approach to England with the bat became a talking point in the first innings of the Fifth Test.

And it leaves the Aussie cricket fraternity with a lasting query – should we adopt Bazball too?

It’s hard to argue Australia’s approach to Test cricket is broken after it secured the World Test Championship and kept the urn.

But England is undoubtedly playing with an attitude that Australian cricket fans are used to seeing from their own side – and there’s no comparison when it comes to which approach is better to watch.

Despite the strong results under Cummins, Australia has failed in its two biggest goals of winning series in India and England as its attempt to be remembered as a generational team arguably fell short.

David Warner appears to be the only member of the team in serious risk of losing his place ahead of a three-Test series against Pakistan starting in mid-December.

The veteran opener has revealed his desire to finish his career at the SCG early next year, but may not get the chance after failing to deliver in England again.

While many felt Warner’s struggles were predictable, the sudden selection debate over the all-rounder position has come out of nowhere.

Cameron Green appeared to have a mortgage on the spot for the next decade but was outplayed by Mitch Marsh and leaves Australia with a conundrum if it only has room for one of its big West Aussies.

And we couldn’t have a 2023 Ashes poll without getting your final verdict on the headline moment of the series – Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow.

After a few weeks to digest the controversy do you still believe it was within the rules of the game and a non-issue – or has it left a slightly sour taste in your mouth?

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