"I think..." - Monty Panesar backs this Indian legend for England coach role after England's dismal performance in ongoing Ashes 2025-26

The England team’s terrible Ashes 2025–26 performance has brought the coach Brendon McCullum into the limelight. There is a lot of speculation regarding the future of the much-discussed ‘Bazball’ playing style. The series was lost in just 11 days, and with the score at 0-3 and two Tests left, the team led by Ben Stokes has been completely outclassed in all areas by Australia.

Monty Panesar brings up Ravi Shastri as the one who can help England solve the Australian problem

Meanwhile, the dust has not settled yet, and the former England player Monty Panesar has put a rather surprising but at the same time very attractive name on the table: Ravi Shastri. During his conversation with journalist Ravi Bisht on YouTube, Panesar insisted that Shastri's acknowledged ability to defeat Australia was what made him a perfect choice to pull England out of their present predicament.

“You have to question who clearly knows how to beat Australia,” said Panesar. “What are the ways to mentally, physically, and tactically exploit their strengths? I think Ravi Shastri must be the next head coach of England.”

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The credentials of Shastri are tough to overlook. He was the captain behind the two famous Test series wins in Australia during India’s heydays, 2018–19 and again in 2020–21, while he was the India head coach. The latter victory, which was attained in spite of injuries and the notorious 36 all out in Adelaide, has been described as one of India’s greatest overseas accomplishments.

Bazball is at a turning point as McCullum faces the consequence of the Ashes collapse

McCullum, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s choice in 2022, first made the Test team of England a different character. Together with Stokes, he took the team to 10 victories in their first 11 matches, bringing back faith and combativeness. But the victory has now turned to a draw. England has been unable to win high-profile series against Australia and India and has lost 16 of the last 33 Tests.

McCullum has, however, been criticized, and has still kept saying he is not the one to decide about his future. He is under contract until the 2027 ODI World Cup, and he keeps insisting he is still motivated, calling the England role “a pretty good gig.”

With the Ashes already lost and the pressure mounting, the ECB is faced with a crucial decision. The choice between continuing with the Bazball approach or seeking a tough tactician like Shastri could determine the course of England's red-ball cricket for many years.