What is Bazball? Decoding the most-talked-about cricketing term
It remains to be seen if the Bazball will be successful or not.
Just a year ago, England’s form in Test cricket hit a new low. The Three Lions hardly packed a punch in their approach as they neither played with intent nor they showed character to win games. England came under fire for lacklustre performances in the purest format. With so many voids in their arsenal, England Cricket Board (ECB) finally took some bold calls for the welfare of English cricket.
At first, they sacked Chris Silverwood, who served as a head coach and chief selector. Later on, Joe Root voluntarily stepped down as the captain of the team. ECB made the right choice to choose the best cricketing brains for the two spots. Ben Stokes was recruited as the captain of the team whereas Brendon McCullum was roped in as the head coach of the Test set-up.
The recruitment did a world of good for England as results started coming in their favour. Their new era kick-started with a 3-0 clean sweep over New Zealand before beating Team India in the fifth and rescheduled Test match. England’s tactical approach helped them clinch a decisive win over India to draw the five-match Test series, 2-2.
What is Bazball? Understanding the cricketing term
It is worth mentioning here that England aced the four run-chases against top-tier bowling attacks. The cricket fraternity was literally taken aback by the new attacking approach implied by the England cricket team. The fans were happy that so many changes happened in a quick span of time, courtesy of the bazball approach that played a quintessential role in England’s improvement.
Bazball became the most-talked-about topic in the cricket fraternity. It is an approach that inspires the cricketers to express themselves freely during the passage of play. When the batters approach the game with a sense of freedom, then it would be quite easier for them to unleash their full potential. Bazball cricket is coined after former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum.
Nicknamed ‘Baz’, he was best known for his fearless brand of cricket. This new approach helped the England batters bring the best out of themselves, which paved the way for the new counterattacking approach. ‘Bazball’ reminds us of the phrase ‘No guts, No glory’ which means if a batsman doesn’t have the courage to take a risk, then he will not be able to accomplish a goal.
