Australian cricket icon Glenn McGrath says England must completely change their mental approach to touring Australia if they want to win future Ashes series. His comments come after Australia secured the Ashes urn in the 2025-26 series, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead against England in just 11 days of cricket. McGrath emphasized that England's repeated failures Down Under stem from a flawed mentality, not a lack of talent among its players.^[1][2][3] ### Mentality Over Ability McGrath, a legendary fast bowler, believes England's long winless streak in Australia is primarily a mental hurdle. He stated that the quality of English players is not the issue. "I do not believe England's long barren run in Australia is down to the quality of their players," McGrath wrote in a column for BBC Sport.^[2][4][5] He pointed out that star players like captain Ben Stokes and Joe Root, considered among the greatest of their generation, have never won a Test match in Australia.^[2][4][5] England has not won a Test in Australia since their 2010-11 triumph, marking a dismal run of 18 consecutive Test matches without a victory on Australian soil.^{[1][3][4][5][6]} ### Preparation Under Scrutiny The former Australian bowler also criticized England's preparation for the current Ashes series. England played only one warm-up match on a slow Perth wicket, which did not resemble typical Test conditions.^[1] They also chose to skip a pink-ball practice match before the day-night Test in Adelaide.^[1] These decisions have drawn heavy criticism following the series defeat. England's coach, Brendon McCullum, later admitted that their preparation methods were flawed and that he "might not have got that right."^[3][6] The "Bazball" philosophy, England's aggressive Test approach under McCullum and Stokes, was expected to challenge Australia but has struggled in the demanding Australian environment.^[7][6] ### Embracing the Australian Challenge McGrath urged England players to "relish" a tour of Australia instead of viewing it as the "hardest thing they will ever do."^[5][8] He suggested that England needs to remove these mental blocks before their next tour in 2029-30.^[5][8] He also highlighted the importance of accountability and thriving under pressure, a trait he observed in successful Australian teams under captains like Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting.^[9] McGrath emphasized that great players thrive under pressure, and the best teams hold each other accountable.^[9] ### The Current Ashes Reality The 2025-26 Ashes series saw Australia dominate from the start. They won the first Test in Perth by 8 wickets.^[10][11] The second Test, a pink-ball affair in Brisbane, also went Australia's way with an 8-wicket victory.^[10][11] Australia then secured the urn by winning the third Test in Adelaide by 82 runs, clinching the series 3-0.^{[2][10][12][11]} This marked the fastest Ashes series victory in 11 days since 2002-03.^[13][14] With two Tests remaining in Melbourne (Boxing Day) and Sydney, England now faces the possibility of a 0-5 whitewash.^[5][8][10] ### Looking Ahead As England regroups for the remaining matches, McGrath's strong words serve as a stark reminder of the challenges they face. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly keen to avoid a mass clearout of the leadership team, hoping to retain "institutional muscle memory" for future tours.^[6] However, coach Brendon McCullum's position is expected to face significant scrutiny.^[6] The psychological battle and a fundamental shift in approach, as prescribed by McGrath, might be England's most crucial task before they next challenge Australia for the Ashes Down Under.

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