'Bazball', the revolutionary new weapon for the England Test team has brought instant success to them, but how does it exactly work? We try to figure it out.
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England began a new era after their New Zealand born all-rounder Ben Stokes was named as the captain and Kiwi great Brendon McCullum took over as a coach in the Test format. The new era saw the Englishman clean sweeping the three-Test series against the World Test Champions New Zealand 3-0 before they went on to overcome the first innings deficit and stun India in the fifth and the final rescheduled Test recently.
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‘Bazball’, as the name suggests, is named after England Test team’s new coach and one of the most fierce hitters of the ball Brendon McCullum. Known for his aggressive intent from the word go in the limited-overs format, McCullum, had represented his national team in the longest format of the game 101 times and his prowess could not be ignored.
“In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on. Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us,” McCullum in his first official statement earmarked his intent.
‘Bazball’ can be referred to as an intent or mindset that England Test team will have under the coaching of McCullum. Bazball can be described as per various situations in the following ways: When an England cricketer takes the opposition bowlers to the cleaners after being sledged or when they smash opposition bowlers consistently in the longest format which, traditionally, has seen batters approaching the game slowly or cautiously.
