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'Bazball' or bust? Why England's bold new world of batting is the future of Test cricket

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Roar Guru
14th July, 2022
27

‘Bazball’ or bust!

Right now, you get the feeling if opposition teams do not adopt England’s stunning, high-risk batting style in Test cricket, they will do so at their own peril.

Brendon McCullum, the new England coach and the inventor of ‘Bazball’, has said they will push all boundaries when playing to find out where the line is.

“I hope we take it too far, because then we will know exactly where that line is. Until you do that, you are not sure,” he commented.

Exciting times!

They are adopting an approach of how cricket should be played. If you prefer a team to grind out a draw on the final day rather than be entertained by a team that chases down 378 to win, that is entirely up to you. As with any change, there will be those who adopt a negative approach and say it won’t last, and calls to please just leave cricket the way it was.

Who cares whether it will work against Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc or on an Indian turning wicket: we don’t know yet, so just enjoy it for what it is now.

I have noticed that when teams or players are recovering from adversity, they respond by adopting an almost careless attitude of ‘it is only a game, everything else in life is far more important’.

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New Zealand were playing Pakistan in Sharjah in 2014, when they heard the tragic news of the death of Phil Hughes and responded by changing the way their side played cricket.

“What we learnt was that when you play without any of the pressures and expectations we normally put on ourselves, your skills can be properly expressed.” said the skipper at the time. That skipper? Yep, you guessed it: Brendon McCullum.

Being in the zone, playing well, without thinking about it, is the optimal level of playing almost perfect sport. Would that be how England are playing now?

In the Sharjah Test, the Black Caps went on to victory and McCullum scored a double century.

“What you saw was a team playing without feeling,” he later said of the series-levelling victory.

So, when you see England chase 378, they are playing ‘in the zone’ with little concern about getting dropped, the outcome of the match or the opinions of their teammates should they fail. They are letting go of all the mental anguish that most players go through.

Ever played golf in the zone? On a personal note, I remember hearing my father was unwell when I was playing golf and it made me realise it was just a silly game we were playing, compared to what he was going through. It was the best I ever played.

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Distract your mind from all the chatter going on and be free to play at your peak ability. I would like to ask Jonny Bairstow what he was thinking about when he was playing against New Zealand and India recently? I am sure it was not, “I’m batting for my career here!”

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Success often follows adversity, and according to Bairstow, the freedom from COVID restrictions over the past two years has led to their current superlative form.

“It’s the freedom we have now. We’re not in hotel rooms, bubbles, having to do COVID tests every day and we can do normal things like go to the shop, go for a beer, see your friends and family,” Bairstow said recently.

McCullum has instilled a positive environment where players can feel confident making their own decisions.
Rassie Erasmus, the former Springbok rugby coach, stated after they had won the World Cup in 2019, that the team ‘had been inspired by the opportunity to bring some light and joy into the daily lives of their fellow countrymen’.

They were not motivated by personal mental pressure, but were distracted to think of others.

I am only guessing, but are the Black Caps now going through a mental stage of believing their own press and has being World Champions made them overconfident? Do they need to get back to freeing their minds of personal glory, playing cricket for the pure joy of playing?

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And Australia? They will say that they have been through adversity recently with Sandpapergate and the Justin Langer controversy, but has it been enough to change, take an innovative approach and become world champions?

Maybe not – especially after losing to Sri Lanka in the second Test!

My impression is they are overly pampered and will attempt to get everything they want. Not the grounding for continued success. The difficult events in life can often bring positive returns.

Will ‘Bazball’ succeed and does it really matter? Yes, for the future of Test cricket it does.

It will not always work, but if they lose a Test by 10 runs chasing 400, is that not better than batting negatively for a draw?

I personally hope it is a remarkable success… even if it is England!

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