Former Australia batter Aaron Finch likened England's recent coaching and captaincy upheaval to a 'circus' and says many Australians have been watching things unfold from afar 'giggling' at their old rivals. <p>Ben Stokes <a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12040/13558599/ben-stokes-england-captain-to-retire-from-international-cricket-after-new-zealand-series">sensationally announced his retirement</a> from international cricket during his side's final Test match of their series defeat by New Zealand in June, with head coach Brendon McCullum later <a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12040/13563050/brendon-mccullum-apologises-for-england-test-results-promises-robust-conversations-with-next-head-coach#:~:text=ECB%20CEO%20Richard%20Gould%20says,Sports%20News%20of%20his%20dismissal.">dismissed as head coach</a> of the red-ball side.</p><p>The Test side are therefore set for major changes amid a slump in form, having lost seven of their last nine matches.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13565707/england-test-head-coaching-job-less-attractive-than-it-was-says-stuart-broad-after-andy-flower-turns-down-role"><strong>Broad: England coaching job 'less attractive' than before</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13563501/england-test-cricket-coach-in-tray-brendon-mccullums-replacement-needs-to-find-a-captain-replace-ben-stokes-and-cut-the-boozing-escapades"><strong>What's in the next England Test coach's in-tray?</strong></a></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/podcasts/36578/11933948/sky-sports-cricket-podcast-with-nasser-hussain-and-michael-atherton">Listen to episodes of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports">Stream England cricket and more contract-free with NOW</a></strong></li></ul><widget id="2"></widget><p>Speaking to the <em><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3MVG58scsWvjs7UMgI7wyo">Sky Sports Cricket Podcast</a></em>, Finch, who captained Australia in both white-ball formats, questioned England's stubbornness during their recent tour Down Under, as well as some of the decisions being made by England's hierarchy.</p><p>"You never want to see players feel like they're being forced out or coaches be sacked," Finch told <em>Sky Sports Cricket's</em> Michael Atherton. "But the way that it's all panned out, it has been a little bit like a circus.</p><p>"When you look back to the preparation of the Ashes, I thought, not having a warm-up game for whatever reason. Everyone's got their opinion on why they weren't able to have one at the WACA, which is the closest replication you can have to Perth Stadium.</p><p>"And almost shutting everybody out saying: 'No, we know best. We know what we're doing. We're here to win'.</p> <widget id="1"></widget><p>"And then for it to fall apart like that, to see where it goes in the New Zealand series, where New Zealand played traditional hard Test Cricket and found a way to grind out a win.</p><p>"They go on and win a series, which is hard to do away from home. Every team says that winning away from home is their biggest challenge."</p><p>McCullum and Stokes' departures will bring an end to the 'Bazball' era, which has seen England exhibit a brash and swashbuckling brand of cricket that has raised eyebrows among many.</p> <widget id="3"></widget><p>"I think that when you look at it as a whole, you say there's been a few decisions that, whether it be style of play, shot selection, decisions behind the scenes, as an Australian, you sit back and giggle a little bit because at different times we've been in that position as well. But you can understand it.</p><p>Atherton also asked Finch whether any of his Australia teams had ever been subject to a curfew.</p><p>"Never," he replied. "If there was, that would have been played out in black and white.</p><p>"It's hard to know exactly what is going on without being inside those four walls.</p><p>"So you can speculate all you want, but from the outside, it has looked like a bit of a mess. So they're in this tricky situation now where they're trying to obviously find a Test coach."</p>
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