England return to site of Ashes angst but Australia gaze stuck on sandpaper

White-ball tour begins in Perth on Friday but there is only one story in Australian cricket and the tourists are not it It feels like five minutes since England were last in pristine Perth, preparing – or rather under-preparing – to win back the Ashes, only for their glass jaw to

White-ball tour begins in Perth on Friday but there is only one story in Australian cricket and the tourists are not it It feels like five minutes since England were last in pristine Perth, preparing – or rather under-preparing – to win back the Ashes, only for their glass jaw to be shattered by the flashing blade of Travis Head and a two-day defeat at Optus Stadium . But 12 months on, the mood is much changed. Beyond the fact this is merely a white-ball tour – three one-day internationals starting on Friday, followed by five Twenty20s – England’s main character energy has seemingly evaporated.

Brendon McCullum is still the head coach in limited-overs cricket but no one is talking about “Bazball” or trying to sell it as some kind of sequel. Continue reading...