What's new

How to stop BazBall?

Back to reality ?
You don't change the way Test Cricket is played.
You play Test Cricket the way it demands you to.
Many like Stokes-Baz have come and gone but Test Cricket has stayed.
 
It’s only Day 1 of 5.

Sometimes you wonder if posters have even watched Test cricket before with the manner in which they leap to abrupt conclusions.

A couple of wickets in the first hour tomorrow and the entire complexion of the game changes again.
 
James said:
It’s only Day 1 of 5.

Sometimes you wonder if posters have even watched Test cricket before with the manner in which they leap to abrupt conclusions.

A couple of wickets in the first hour tomorrow and the entire complexion of the game changes again.
Click to expand...

Indeed. But surely adapting to the need of the situation is the way to go. Aggressive cricket doesn’t mean going at 6 am over even when the pitch ain’t flat. England can still go aggressive, score 4 an over and declare to give themselves a chance to win.

Even if BazBall works in Pakistan, England will need to change when visiting India and Australia.
 
Xoib said:
Ok one option is making a track with something in it for the bowlers.

But Pakistan is a white ball attack on most times so they have quality to pin attacking batsman down.

What do they need to do to stop England from going 6-7 an over?
Click to expand...

Clearly, wrist-spin on a Bunsen.
 
Last edited:
James said:
It’s only Day 1 of 5.

Sometimes you wonder if posters have even watched Test cricket before with the manner in which they leap to abrupt conclusions.

A couple of wickets in the first hour tomorrow and the entire complexion of the game changes again.
Click to expand...

First session and a half will decide what the result will in who's favour.
 
Looks good when it comes off and looks like a mess done by some fool hardy jobbers when it fails. Today proved that it takes one quality bowler to undo it.

If Abrar wasn’t playing today and it was someone else who was not in form maybe we would’ve seen another 500.

But this approach probably won’t work Vs the top sides who’s bowlers are not picked from gully / mohalla night matches.
 
Suleiman said:
But this approach probably won’t work Vs the top sides who’s bowlers are not picked from gully / mohalla night matches.
Click to expand...

It's worked against New Zealand, South Africa, India and Pakistan so far.

Thats more than half of cricket.
 
James said:
It’s only Day 1 of 5.

Sometimes you wonder if posters have even watched Test cricket before with the manner in which they leap to abrupt conclusions.

A couple of wickets in the first hour tomorrow and the entire complexion of the game changes again.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much.
 
Today it seems that England are playing:

NormalBall.
 
SM1989 said:
What happened to Bazball?
Click to expand...

BazBall is a term made up by the media.

Brendon McCullum has strongly rejected the term.

England’s red ball side play Test cricket. That’s it.
 
Turns out that you can stop Bazball by conceding an 80 run lead on day 2 of a test match at home.
 
SM1989 said:
What happened to Bazball?
Click to expand...

It’s just one tool in the box - as it clearly didn’t work on a good wrist spinner on a turning wicket, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 have adopted a more measured (yet still aggressive) approach today.
 
Can England do Bazball on a typical dust bowl subcontinental pitch? I think they are likely to struggle in India and possibly in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh too.

I am quite surprised Pakistan are giving England this type of pitch. There hasn't been any real home advantage for Pakistan in this series. Flat pitch suits England more.
 
Last edited:
James said:
BazBall is a term made up by the media.

Brendon McCullum has strongly rejected the term.

England’s red ball side play Test cricket. That’s it.
Click to expand...

Nah, they are still playing the Brendon McCullum way. BazBall is not playing 7 an over. It being aggressive and counter attacking, which can also be done at 4 an over on these pitches.
 
They stopped it themselves. Batsmen are a bit more selective in the 2nd innings. Brooks took 22 balls to score his first 3 runs. It is totally fine. You don't have to win a 5 day test in 3 days.
 
James said:
BazBall is a term made up by the media.

Brendon McCullum has strongly rejected the term.

England’s red ball side play Test cricket. That’s it.
Click to expand...

England are playing a different style of Test cricket. Bold, aggressive, and attacking. It's no coincidence this change occured since McCullum was appointed head coach and Stoke, captain.
 
Sidilicious said:
Nah, they are still playing the Brendon McCullum way. BazBall is not playing 7 an over. It being aggressive and counter attacking, which can also be done at 4 an over on these pitches.
Click to expand...

The ATG Australia team used to go at 4 an over.

I don't think 4 an over is Bazball.
 
sweep_shot said:
The ATG Australia team used to go at 4 an over.

I don't think 4 an over is Bazball.
Click to expand...

4 an over on a spin friendly pitch is BazBall.

Again Bazball is all about aggression. It’s about playing with the mentality to win. It’s about going on the Offenes when the chips are down. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go on the Defense for a period of time when someone is bowling well. You realise that you will get a chance and pouncing on it when giving a chance.

A lot of teams don’t do that. Like Pakistan in the last test, or rizwan in this innings.

A controlled aggressive innings is also BazBall.
 
That's 8 wins out of 9 for BazBall. Seemingly unstoppable...
 
Shame the next Ashes series is in England. I would like to see how they fare against the Aussies in Australia with this team and approach as they usually get whooped with score lines of 5-0, 4-0 over there.

By the time they get to play them on their own turf, things may have changed.
 
England a little bit too confident in Bazball. That declaration cost them a test match
 
Counterattack by playing sensible cricket and allowing Stokes let the ideology consume him. He initiated the collapse today after being on course
 
Fantastic Test match but one shouldn't lose sight of the fact that NZ played to their strengths --gritty Test cricket.
Williamson and Blundell set up the win scoring at barely 50 runs/100 balls.
I fear if two Pakistani batsmen had done that, they would have been accused of stats padding and being boring because they were not hitting the bowl out of the park.
 
Over confidence as well as arrogance cost them the match they had plenty of time to make another 30-40 runs before declaring but they thought they would roll over Kiwis cheaply over 2 innings.

This isn’t PK those Kiwis no how to play cricket at home.

As the famous Kholi said ‘in ko aanaydo hameray ghar’ when the going got tough in NZ last time around
 
Pakistan's insipid bowling attack let them down against England at home. NZ barring bolt still had a much better bowling attack with respect to their conditions.
 
Australia captain Pat Cummins hails 'Bazball' and drops David Warner Ashes hint

Australia captain Pat Cummins has praised England's "impressive" new 'Bazball' approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ahead of this summer's Ashes.

England have won ten out of 12 Tests under Stokes and McCullum so far while playing a new positive and aggressive brand of cricket and, with Australia currently the number one ranked Test team in the world, it's set to be a fascinating Ashes series later this year.

"They've really stuck to their method and are willing to live and die by that method," Cummins told Fox Sports when asked about 'Bazball'. "They've been impressive, they've found a way to play a totally different style that gives them the best chance of winning."

However, he also insisted Australia would not get sucked in to trying to imitate 'Bazball' during the Ashes, having only lost three of the 15 Tests Cummins has been in charge for since he was appointed skipper last year.

"Over the last 18 months, the way we've gone about it has been really successful, so you don't want to lose sight of that," he added. "I think that's the most important - worry about what we do well, rather than looking at the opposition."

Cummins also dropped a hint about David Warner's future, with the 36-year-old opener in the midst of a poor run of form. Since the start of 2021, Warner has averaged just 29.48 and he has never scored a hundred in England.

In 13 Ashes Tests away from home, he averages just 26.04 and notably struggled against Stuart Broad in the 2019 series. And when asked directly if Warner would open in the Ashes, Cummins replied: "We'll have to wait and see.

"The bowlers can get on top over in England with the new ball. It seams around; it can be tough for opening batters. But openers who can put pressure back on the bowlers, they're priceless.

"I know as a bowler, if someone's a sitting duck, you feel like you're going to get them eventually. If someone's kind of taking the game to you, it presents a different challenge.

"That's been the hallmark of Davey's career. Over there in England, that's what you'd want out of him, putting that pressure back on the bowlers."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/cri...p&cvid=f4172ea113244f1f975c8be5eff43bd8&ei=13
 
Firebat said:
Australia captain Pat Cummins hails 'Bazball' and drops David Warner Ashes hint

Australia captain Pat Cummins has praised England's "impressive" new 'Bazball' approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ahead of this summer's Ashes.
Click to expand...

I find Pat Cummins to be an unusual Aussie Captain, He just has too many praises and good stuff to say for an Australian Cricketer, captain.
 
If you can't beat them, join them. I think that what Australia might try in a few sessions at least
 
Bazball is just a product of flat pitches, short boundaries, giant bats and, most of all, useless modern bowling attacks incapable of swinging, seaming or spinning the ball to any appreciable degree with any great degree of consistency or intelligence. Get your bowlers away from these biomechanics ‘experts’ whose sole achievement has not been injury reduction or even greater pace at the top end, but a total destruction of swing, seam and spin. Concentrate on the wrists, fingers and brain. There’s one very simple reason why Jimmy Anderson is piling up the wickets and whose bowling average is decreasing as he gets older. Modern batsman cannot play a consistent 80-83mph away swinger in the slot and it’s getting worse. He is a walking stress fracture according to the experts, funny how he only got a stress fracture when he tried to change his bowling action to prevent it and then returned to his old action with great success and much to the chagrin of the ‘experts’. He’s just an old school swing bowler who’s being made to look like the GOAT. Even England managed to destroy Steve Finn, Stuart Meaker and even wanted to ruin Devon Malcolm. You need bowlers who AREN’T stereotypical laptop manufactured robots, that’s all.
 
Question for Ireland after being bowled out for 172 on Day 1
 
MenInG said:
Question for Ireland after being bowled out for 172 on Day 1
Click to expand...

"England scored at 6.33 an over and smashed it everywhere."

lcimg-ab952e7c-2b88-4d1b-b3cf-862a5109cb2c.jpg
 
Steve Smith is confident the Australia bowling attack will thrive when it takes on an England outfit rejuvenated by their attacking brand of cricket known as ‘Bazball’.

England will enter the Ashes series boosted by 11 victories in their past 13 Tests since captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum introduced a fearless approach to batting and the red-ball format with stunning results.

Rapid run rates and thrilling tactics have led to success against New Zealand, India, South Africa, Pakistan and Ireland, but this renewed England are yet to face the team that topped the ICC World Test Championship standings and are well-placed to win the Final - Australia.

That challenge is set to come in five Ashes Tests beginning in Edgbaston on June 16, but Australia batter Steve Smith has backed their formidable pace attack to put the brakes on Bazball and dismantle the England line-up.

"I said it initially when Bazball started that I'm intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. I've said that all along," Smith said.

"They've obviously done well against some other attacks, but they haven't come up against us yet. So, we'll see.

“It's obviously been exciting to watch. I must say I've enjoyed watching the way they've played and the way that I guess they've turned things around in the last 12 months or so.

“We'll wait and see how it comes off against us.”

Australia bowlers shine as Gill learns valuable lesson: Talking points from WTC Final day two
The Australia attack is blessed with options as captain Pat Cummins and left-armer Mitchell Starc roll on as regulars, while injuries to the otherwise reliable Josh Hazlewood have opened the door for other quicks.

Late bloomer Scott Boland has made the most of his opportunities with 28 wickets in seven Tests at an average of 13.42 even before his superb spell on day 2 of the WTC Final against India.

Bowling all-rounder Michael Neser was a late addition to the WTC squad in place of Hazlewood and also looms as a likely prospect especially in England conditions.

“I'm not a selector, but I know from having faced Scotty (Boland) in the nets recently, he's bowling very nicely,” Smith said.

“The angles he provides, his ability to hit the stumps from slightly shorter than some of our other bowlers, is a big plus. That’s something that I think Neser can do as well.

“(Boland) has turned up every time he's had an opportunity. So whether he's leaving any of the big three out, I don't know the answer to that.

“But he's certainly a quality prospect, as we've seen for a couple of years now every time he's had his opportunity.”

Cummins (1/36), Starc (1/52) and Boland (1/29) each struck on day 2 of the WTC Final, along with all-rounder Cameron Green (1/22) and spinner Nathan Lyon (1/4).

Smith revealed how the Australia attack intends to press home their advantage against India on day 3, in an insight into what England might also expect in the Ashes.

“It's just putting the ball in the right area more often than not,” Smith said.

“Owning that sort of, I think it's probably five-and-a-half to seven metre length. Top of the stumps, there's enough natural variation there in terms of up and down.

“If you're hitting those areas consistently it's quite challenging.”

ICC
 
Only India in India and Australia in Australia can stop Bazball. England's effective bowling is responsible for success of Bazball.
 
Steve Waugh has warned England they are set to be exposed by Australia in the Ashes if they don't have a back-up plan for when all-out attack doesn't come off.

England's 'Bazball' revolution in the past 12 months has revived Test cricket in the country, and prompted the most anticipated Ashes series in a generation.

But Australia have made no secret of the fact they have serious question marks over whether it can withstand their attack.

England have scored at 4.85 an over in the past year while racking up an 11-2 record in Test cricket, and five of their batsmen have scored at a strike-rate of above 75.

In contrast, Australia have made their game out of building pressure and strangling opponents with the tightest economy rate of any team in recent years.

Steve Smith cast doubt on England's approach on Thursday, when he questioned for a second time how it would work against Australia's attack.

"I think it will be different on this kind of wicket, that's up and down and seaming around," Smith said, citing conditions for the current match at The Oval. "It's not easy to defend against, let alone come out and swing.

"I said it initially when Bazball started, I'm intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. They (England) have obviously done well against some other attacks but they haven't come up against us yet.

"It's obviously been exciting to watch, I've enjoyed watching the way they play and the way they've turned things around in the last 12 months or so. But we'll wait and see how it comes off against us."

Waugh is convinced it won't always come off, and said England were at serious risk of collapsing to their first Ashes series loss at home since 2001 if they didn't have back-up plans.

"That is the big question mark over so-called Bazball. What is Plan B? Have they got a Plan B?" Australia's former Test captain asked.

"If they haven't then they are going to be found out.

"They have shown they are good enough to carry this style of cricket off but the ultimate test will be against a world-class bowling attack, which Australia has got.

"It is exciting but to me the jury is out at the moment. Does (Bazball) hold up under scrutiny against a really good bowling attack in maybe challenging conditions?"

Regardless, Waugh said he did not expect England to go away from the fearless approach.

"There is no doubt it won't work all the time but I think with (coach Brendon) McCullum and (captain Ben) Stokes they will have the courage to go through with it," Waugh said.

"They can't chop and change. Have they got a back-up plan? I'm not sure. That might find them out."

Waugh's successor as Test captain, Ricky Ponting, said it was not impossible for England to pull off the ploy, but is adamant Australia can find answers to silence the hosts.

"I've got a few thoughts on what I'd be doing if I was an Australian fast bowler," Ponting said.

"I think the reason the way England have played for the last couple of years is with this series in mind.

"They've been trying to find a brand of cricket that they can play that's going to win an Ashes series."

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/ste...-world-class-bowlers-smith-ponting/2023-06-10
 
Let's see what Australia can do to stop BazBall.

Big test coming up now
 
England may have lost 6 wickets but look at the scoring rate! 300+ on Day 1 with ease.
 
And that today was even with the Aussies putting a lot of men on thr boundary.

Brilliant to watch.
 
It might be entertaining, but the people want victories, or so says Sir Geoffrey Boycott after England's narrow defeat in the opening Ashes Test.

The hosts are 1-0 down with four matches to play after being beaten by two wickets by Australia in a dramatic finale at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

England head coach Brendon McCullum has said of England's commitment to risky, aggressive cricket - nicknamed Bazball - that "you're not always going to win and we understand that, but we want to keep getting up and throwing punches as a team".

Former England batter Boycott wrote in the Telegraph: "England have got carried away with Bazball and seem to think entertaining is more important than winning.

"But England supporters want one thing more than anything else - to win the Ashes. Scoring fast runs, whacking lots of fours and sixes is lovely. It is great. But only if England do not lose sight of the big prize which is to beat Australia.

"If at the end of the series Australia go home with the Ashes we will feel sick, regardless of how much we have been entertained.

"They are in danger of letting hubris be their downfall or, quoting William Shakespeare in Hamlet, being hoist by one's own petard. They are going to defeat themselves. It would be sad if playing exciting cricket for a year is going to their heads.

"By all means entertain but cricket is like chess. There are moments when you need to defend. Sometimes you need to be patient and accept it. Do not just attack, attack, attack. England need a bit of common sense and pragmatism."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/cri...p&cvid=c993b0611cb64e18b44237d695c0942b&ei=11
 
This Bazball drama will end in tears.

Stokes will do the mental health drama and run away. Probably retire altogether. McCullum will take up the NZ job or an IPL gig.

England will be back to playing normal, regular Test cricket and life will move on.

Of course, Australia winning this Ashes 5-0 or 4-1 will accelerate this process and how I wish they do.
 
You need good bowlers to stop bazball - Aus have that. Having defensiv in out field and bowling defensiv from one end and attacking for another is what aus is doing. Ashes belong to Australia because they are playing better test cricket
 
Let’s be clear - Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have zero respect for Test cricket.

They think they are too smart for the format, they are too smart for all the other teams and they are too smart for the way the format has been played for over a century.

It is their arrogance and self-righteousness that would lead to the demise of Bazball and it will be very sweet and satisfying to witness.
 
Seems Australia doing same to England, without giving it a name!
 
The name Bazball was referred for batting. That is yet to stop. England continues to bat aggressively. They look stupid because their bowling sucks. I am going to wait and see how England approaches. If they are prepared to go at 3 RPO thatn is when we can conclude Bazball approach ended.
 
Give them a taste of their own medicine.

Sometimes the best way is to fight fire with fire, like the Aussies did today.
 
Saj said:
Give them a taste of their own medicine.

Sometimes the best way is to fight fire with fire, like the Aussies did today.
Click to expand...

They made the job easier by bowling half vollies and wides. 36 extras for heavensake. That illustrates indiscipline. Also Stokes having 4 or 5 slips all the time like you see in 1930s was pointless. Leaked a lot of runs with aggressive field sets
 
jnaveen1980 said:
They made the job easier by bowling half vollies and wides. 36 extras for heavensake. That illustrates indiscipline. Also Stokes having 4 or 5 slips all the time like you see in 1930s was pointless. Leaked a lot of runs with aggressive field sets
Click to expand...

Yep. Bad day from England today. Very indisciplined and streaky. The Aussies are a Test and a day up in the series, and it doesn’t feel like they have had to be anywhere near their best or most proactive to get there. England are shooting themselves in the foot with some of their decisions so far. The Australians are grinding them down with professionalism.
 
Bazball is soft if things don't go their way. Lots of criticism on the pace English quicks are generating.

Sensing an Anderson retirement news in the coming days.
 
Travis Head is something outside Asia.

Smith is a beast. He will have to bat extremely bad from now on to get his average below 50.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
They made the job easier by bowling half vollies and wides. 36 extras for heavensake. That illustrates indiscipline. Also Stokes having 4 or 5 slips all the time like you see in 1930s was pointless. Leaked a lot of runs with aggressive field sets
Click to expand...

Yes, too many freebies for the Aussies and they weren't going to turn that down.

However it could have been even worse for England had it not been for Root.
 
This is the real test for bazball. Their batting. They are going at 3.15. This is clearly not Bazball. Usually they start aggressively.
 
What England are doing now is just normal Test batting - nothing flashy or fancy shots - just proper Test batting.
 
They got over initial nerves and they are on a roll. So Bazball is still intact. You cannot blame their batting one bit for their failures. May be foolish declaration. Otherwise batting is not responsible for their loss. It is mostly bowling.
 
Run rate is 5 per over but not really taken any risks to get there, just conventional batting.
 
How to stop Bazball?

Produce turning tracks. That should do it.

Also, having a large ground (like MCG) is another solution.
 
No answer against short ball barrage with field set.This is why you have to mix aggression with caution. Australians would have become tired after a while. More you lose wickets more it will motivate them.
 
Only Bazball can stop Bazball, they just shoot themselves in the foot
 
Bazball is a disaster. It can only work against very weak times or good that lose composure.

Classic, regular Test cricket will always triumph over Bazball. England thought they were reinventing Test cricket and showing others how to play this format and what the future should look like.

They have received a brutal reality-check in this series. Their misplaced arrogance is backfiring big time.

Both McCullum and Stokes should be sacked after this debacle and Stokes should also be dropped as a player because he is finished.

Get a proper coach, not someone who forgot to watch the ball and went for a blind slog in the first over of 2015 World Cup Final.

Reinstate Joe Root as captain. He should not have been sacked in the first place. He was scapegoated.
 
Sensible approach is needed.

==

Nasser Hussain: there's a time to attack and a time to defend

"Are they being told to [play aggressive]? Or is it an individual choice, there and then, to make smart, bold decisions?" asks Ricky Pointing.

"It's got to be the latter, because of Ben Stokes' innings last night. He went in and realised that the cricket hadn't been smart. And he just stood there showed them how to play against the short ball," says Nasser Hussain.

"It's got to be a time to attack and a time to defend. When it's in your favour, attack, when there's so many people back, it's just not in your percentages. You might get three away, but eventually one will go up in the air," adds Hussain.
 
Bazball stems from the fact England has a lot of players with no real defensive technique. So they went on the offense. It worked for them.But players with solid technique should still play normal game. Travis Head is also an aggressive player as it is his natural game. Smith can switch gear if needed. So can Warner.
 
Eoin Morgan:

"Their attack is express pace, accurate, it's the best in the world. And you can't just go and belt the best in the world all over the place. It has to be more calculated than that."
 
Just imagine how poor Pakistan are as a Test side if they can get mullered at home by England playing this style of cricket, but no way out whatsoever against Australia at the moment
 
Rana said:
Just imagine how poor Pakistan are as a Test side if they can get mullered at home by England playing this style of cricket, but no way out whatsoever against Australia at the moment
Click to expand...

Brook was having 24 runs over for fun.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
Bazball stems from the fact England has a lot of players with no real defensive technique. So they went on the offense. It worked for them.But players with solid technique should still play normal game. Travis Head is also an aggressive player as it is his natural game. Smith can switch gear if needed. So can Warner.
Click to expand...

This. It's the optimum style for blokes like Crawley whose defensive technique is the pits. In the OZ side, Travis Head is the least assured in defence and that's why he's much better off counter attacking.

But he's a number 6 and dies not face the new ball. Crawley is an opener.

England should be a bit more dynamic than this. Let Crawley and Stokes play this comically aggressive game.

Others whose techniques aren't the worst should look to occupy the crease a bit more.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
Bazball stems from the fact England has a lot of players with no real defensive technique. So they went on the offense. It worked for them.But players with solid technique should still play normal game. Travis Head is also an aggressive player as it is his natural game. Smith can switch gear if needed. So can Warner.
Click to expand...

If only people would get his, Bazball is the only way to maximise England's batting potential which right now is full of meiocre test batsman.
 
muqarrab said:
If only people would get his, Bazball is the only way to maximise England's batting potential which right now is full of meiocre test batsman.
Click to expand...

People are dumb if they don’t get this.

England is a white ball team and the most effective way of using your white ball batsmen in Test cricket is to ask them to play adventurously.

The problem is that Stokes and McCullum started talking nonsense about how this is the way Test cricket should be played, this is how Test cricket will be revived, it is the future etc.

They thought they had reinvented Test cricket and showed other teams the way. They now look very stupid as Australia are thrashing them with the traditional approach and proving that Bazball is not the future or the right way to play this format.

Stokes and McCullum have shown a lack of respect for Test cricket and tried to prove themselves as too smart for the format. They have been humbled and brought back to earth.

If England had kept quiet and simply admitted that they are doing what they are doing because it works for them, it wouldn’t have been a problem. However, they talked too much and all the talking is backfiring now.

Even before the Lord’s Test, they learned nothing from Edgbaston and started making tall claims. Usually Australia is very chatty but England has been the ones doing all the talking and ending up with their own foot in their mouths.

England will take a step back and tone down their aggression after this debacle, which will make all the claims by McCullum and Stokes about revolutionizing Test cricket etc. even more stupid.
 
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has said that he "didn’t really see BazBall" during the two Tests he played against England in Ashes 2023.

Lyon played the first two Tests of the thrilling Ashes series — at Edgbaston and Lord’s — before a calf injury ruled him out.

The spinner was brutal in his assessment of England's style of play under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, famously dubbed 'Bazball', and played down the hype around it.

“I know everyone keeps talking about BazBall, to be honest, I didn’t really see BazBall… throughout my two Tests against them,” Lyon told SEN Cricket.

The Australian said that the aggressive brand of batting deployed by England should be complemented by the flexibility to change gears when needed.

"I’m 2-0 in my Tests against BazBall," Lyon said, reminding that Australia did not lose both Tests he featured in during the Ashes.

"I look at the Australian cricket team and the batters we’ve had, David Warner for example. I’ve seen him score hundreds in a session and that’s off playing an attacking brand of cricket.

"I think there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors with BazBall, if I’m being honest with you, and I feel like if you’re going to play an aggressive brand of cricket anyway, it’s about being able to go up and down in gears and understanding the moments in the game."

Australia won both games in which Lyon played while losing two and drawing one in the last three matches of the series.

The off-spinner, who turns 36 this year, did not rule out the possibility of returning to England in 2027 for another Ashes series, stating that his "hunger for the game has probably gone to a new level" after some time away due to injury.

"I'll tell you one thing, I’m definitely not joking about going back to the Ashes,” Lyon said.

"I’m definitely not writing off going back to England for the Ashes… the finish line for me hasn’t even popped up in my eyesight yet, I’ve still got a lot of cricket left in me in my eyes."

ICC
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BouncerGuy
New ICC Rules (June 2025): Stop Clock in Tests, One Ball in ODIs, and More
Replies
40
Views
1K
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
J
[VIDEOS] Bazball cannot disguise Test cricket's weakest era
3 4 5
Replies
348
Views
11K
Nikhil_cric
N
A
How will Pakistan take 20 wickets in Tests outside Pakistan?
2
Replies
81
Views
2K
Abid Z
A
Z
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Captaincy Blunders: How stubborn decisions are costing Lahore Qalandars in PSL X
Replies
32
Views
2K
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
“I'm not here to tell Pakistan cricket how to improve, but what I can say is that success comes down to attitude": David Warner
Replies
33
Views
1K
shaz619
shaz619
Back
Top