Bazball Revolution Could Change Test Cricket

The England cricket team’s recent “fast and fearless”, and “wonderful”, approach to the game has been dubbed “Bazball”, after a nickname for England’s new coach, New Zealander Brendon McCullum who was appointed in May, The Economist reports.

Until his retirement in 2019, McCullum, 41, was an aggressive batsman and was previously an enterprising captain of New Zealand. His arrival as coach coincided with the appointment as captain of Ben Stokes, a talismanic all-rounder who was also born in New Zealand.

Scoring quickly requires unorthodox strokeplay and England have used shots normally reserved for the short-form Twenty20 format of the game, the publication reports.

England’s new approach will undoubtedly lead to some ignominious losses, as their batting collapses through over-aggression. But their glorious derring-do is wonderful for the game and poses a problem for any opponent. And here’s an exciting thought: England’s old rivals Australia, who visit for an Ashes series next year, have the batting and bowling talent to match them.

Original article by The Economist, December 8, 2022.