England should not make wholesale changes to their playing group even if their expected Ashes defeat is confirmed, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.
Ben Stokes’ side look set to once again lose a series in Australia at the earliest opportunity after slipping to 213-8 on the second day of the third Test, 158 runs behind.
Defeat in Adelaide would seal a fourth successive series defeat in Australia and extend a winless run in this country to 18 Tests.
Heavy defeats in Ashes series overseas often signal sweeping change in English cricket.
But Vaughan pointed to his own experience as part of the England team that was 4-0 down in 2002-03, only to then win the fifth Test in Sydney.
The 51-year-old said that experience helped him build a team with which to win the legendary return contest in 2005.
“English cricket often works in four-year cycles, home and away Ashes series,” Vaughan told the Ashes Debrief on BBC iPlayer.
“One or two players need to go because they aren’t good enough at this level, but a number of them have enough talent.
“If they are coached and managed correctly, and given the right kind of preparation, they are going to be fine in four years.
“It’s the only way I can see that English cricket can possibly be competitive in Australia, if they stick with some of the players that have the experience. Bad experience is better than no experience.”
Of England’s squad currently in Australia, 34-year-old captain Stokes would seem highly unlikely to make the next tour in 2029-30. Batter Joe Root, who will be almost 39 in four years, would perhaps be another doubt.
Among the other 14 players, opener Ben Duckett is the next oldest. The left-hander will be 35 at the time of the next Ashes tour.
“There are a lot of players in this England side that should still be coming in four years’ time,” said Vaughan, who played 82 Tests for England between 1999 and 2008.
“There will be one or two that will fall by the wayside and a couple of the senior pros might disappear.
“What I don’t want English cricket to do is think ‘all these players have failed, we’ll put them in the bin and start again’. You want more players to be hardened by playing in these conditions.”
England dismissed Australia for 371 on the second morning of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, only to slump to 42-3 and 71-4 in blameless batting conditions.
It took Stokes’ defiant 45 not out, from 151 balls, to ensure England were not bowling again by the close.
Defeat in Adelaide would mean a fourth consecutive away Ashes series in which England have gone 3-0 down after three matches.
After Adelaide, the series moves on to Melbourne for the fourth Test on Boxing Day, before concluding in Sydney in the new year.
“I look back to 2002-03, we were 4-0 down and won in Sydney. I learnt a lot about the next few years from winning that one game,” said Vaughan.
“England can’t think there is nothing to gain from the next two games. If this goes wrong, and it looks like it may do, Melbourne and Sydney are still opportunities to learn for the next time they come or the next time they play Australia.”
