Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed serious concerns about the state of the English cricket team amid their Ashes struggles. With England already 0-2 down in the five-Test series, Vaughan warned that the team risks being clean-swept by Australia if urgent changes are not made.

England’s collapse in the second Test, particularly in the fourth innings of the Day-Night match at the Gabba, exposed both technical flaws and mental fragility. The visitors set Australia a target of just 65 runs, which the hosts chased comfortably in 10 overs, underscoring England’s inability to handle high-pressure situations on this tour.

“I hate to say it. If England is not careful, this could be 5-0. I have not seen enough from England to suggest they can win a game yet. They are a good set of players, and it is possible. But if they do not improve quickly, this can get a lot worse before it gets better,” Vaughan told BBC Cricket.

Michael Vaughan criticises England’s batting line-up

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Vaughan also singled out Ollie Pope, questioning his place at No. 3 in the batting order. He suggested that Pope’s repeated struggles against Australia have created a lingering psychological barrier and recommended that England seriously consider alternative options, such as Jacob Bethell or reshuffling the batting order.

“England will have to make changes going into Adelaide. They have to seriously consider Ollie Pope’s position. There is a mental scar against Australia for him. Do you bring in Jacob Bethell? Can Stokes bat at number three and Jacks at number six? It’s a big risk bringing in Bethell when the team is 2-0 down,” Vaughan added.

If England were to lose the remaining three Tests, they would become only the fourth English team to be clean-swept in Ashes history. England previously suffered 0-5 defeats in 1920–21, 2006–07, and 2013–14. Australia, on the other hand, has never been blanked in an Ashes series.