Ashes 2025-26: Ex-skipper Michael Vaughan calls current England team selection 'suggestions of weak men' amid horror run

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan, who led his side of a memorable Ashes victory in 2005, has called out current team's selection process. The criticism comes after England fell to 0-2 scoreline in the ongoing Ashes Down Under with three matches left. England lost both the Tests by eight wickets, in Perth first then the day-night Test in Brisbane. The context for Vaughan's comments was pre-series mockery of Australian team age profile, which is 30-plus, by England media and players.

Vaughan calls out England selection process

“In English cricket, we gift our players a lot quickly,” he wrote in his column for the Telegraph. “Until English cricket addresses all this, and remembers that Test cricket is a tough game that does not allow for shortcuts, the mediocrity will continue. You hear suggestions of weak men. That is what our system has created.”

“Compare that to Jake Weatherald. At 31, he has been around the block and earned the right. He has been a hardened cricketer over 10 years. I do not think we would even consider looking at someone like him in English cricket. But he just looks ready,” Vaughan said.

England in need of miracle to save series

There's been only once in the history of Test cricket that a team has come back from 0-2 to win the series and yes, that moment came in Ashes only but not for England. It was Don Bradman's Australia which were down 0-2 in 1936-37 Ashes when they came back in some style to win the series. As for Ben Stokes's England, the series looks done and dusted, barring a miracle.

Moreover, England have also been dealt with a blow after speedster Mark Wood was ruled out of the series post recurrence of knee injury. The next Test is set to be played in Adelaide from December 17 with next two Tests after that scheduled for MCG on Boxing Day and Sydney for New Year's Test.