"If people pay their money to watch you play they should be entertained": Brendon McCullum

[MenInG]

Baz McCullum press conference:

When asked if England were ready for the series

"Not yet, but we've got a couple of days, it is nice to be here. We had a great camp in Abu Dhabi and spent some time together as a team trying to build that camaraderie back as a team after a bit of a break.

"We identified during the English summer that is a really important component to how this team is going to operate - a bit of social interaction for the boys but also some hard work.

"Guys are not screwed down yet but we'll get there in the next couple of days."

On Mark Wood injury

"Mark Wood is not going to make the first Test squad unfortunately because of his injury but we expect him to be ready for the second Test, otherwise we have a full squad to choose from,"

On Bazzball

"We'll find out I suppose," McCullum responded when asked if England's attacking approach can be successful.

"We'll respect the conditions but if we are given an opportunity to try and play aggressive and attacking cricket then we'll try and take that option.

"It is authentic to the line-up that we have. That's how they play their cricket and what gives them the most freedom and best opportunity to perform at the highest level.

"We know it might not be as prominent aggressive cricket as we've seen in the past but there will be opportunities to try and play positively and when that does arise I expect our guys to take that on."

He added: "We want to try and entertain people and in the time we've got in leadership positions amongst English cricket."

"Test hasn't always been as popular as it used to be in recent history so we see an obligation that if people turn on the TV anywhere around the world or they pay their money to come and watch you play that they head away somewhat entertained."

"For us it's about trying to play that style. We know it is not always going to be successful. What we have seen over a short period of time is it can unlock your skill."

"We can suffocate ourselves but our want or will for results stymie for our talent to come out. If we're trying to put a positive slant on the style of play then it allows the talent to come out. That is what we believe."

"We have had some success in recent history with it. I expect us to still play positively given the opportunities."


On Shaheen Shah Afridi

"I know him pretty well. He’s a wonderful bowler and he's turned into a fine leader for Pakistani cricket, Shaheen's obviously a big loss."

"You look at their team sheet and you see talent... you see some that might not be developed talent, but it's talent.

"You need to respect that, and you need to find a way to be able to be well-researched and well-planned about what's going to come at you."


"It's a very good Pakistan squad, it's well-rounded"

"It's got some experience and some youth -- with both batting and bowling -- and they’ll be a tough challenge.

"We know we'll have to play well if we're going to be successful."

 

[Mamoon]

There is a fine line between aggression & recklessness. Besides, winning is the greatest form of entertainment.

There is no doubt that England were brilliant to watch last summer, but it would be interesting to see if they can sustain it especially away from home.

You cannot slog your way out of trouble every time. It is not sustainable. A lot of England’s success was down to Bairstow’s purple patch and we don’t know how he will fare once he returns. He was in a tremendous zone.

McCullum is a great character. A massive entertainer, but he has blurred the lines between aggression & madness numerous times in his career.

There is a Shahid Afridi inside him that has reared its ugly head multiple times.

He decided to slog Starc out of MCG in the first over of the 2015 World Cup Final, forgetting that he was not playing on tiny NZ grounds.

By his own admission, he later stated that he was not even watching the ball. He forgot to.

The biggest ODI match in NZ’s history, a World Cup final, and the captain who is opening the innings forgets to watch the ball and ends up killing his team’s chances of winning.

Stokes is more measured than McCullum and as captain, he will need to offset some of the recklessness that McCullum brings to the table.

 

[Rana]

Agreed Brendon

But our awaam pays its money to watch us bat at 2.5 runs per over for at least 100 overs

 

[Jazx]

There is no entertainment if you are batting to please the crowd. Playing for the team and match situation is more important than just being a blind slogger. Gone are the days when the crowd goes mad on seeing so many sixes in a match, it looks normal nowadays.

 

[SamNJ]

But there is no entertainment if while "trying to entertain the crowd" you get out in first over.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

That approach can work in Pakistan actually. If it were UAE, Bazball would definitely be a hit or miss. A miss most of the times.

 

[Markhor]

England's over-exuberance may get them in trouble occasionally, but the broader point is correct.

Contrast this to Pakistan's fearful, safety first approach vs Australia earlier this year. We prepared appallingly dull surfaces to negate Australia's quicks. Despite such lifeless tracks, we still batted at 2 RPO. Babar on Day 1 of Karachi Test resorted to negative lines.

It made for a terrible advertisement for Test cricket and squandered the goodwill for a much anticipated series.

Nobody's saying Pakistan should simply copy England's approach, but we can take inspiration from how they've transformed themselves from a side that won 1 Test in 17 - to a team that's won 6 out of their last 7 and is playing a positive brand of cricket.

 

[MenInG]

Added more quotes to post#1

 

[MenInG]

England head coach Brendon McCullum says his side will not deviate from their "aggressive" style of cricket as they aim for a Test series win in Pakistan.

England won six of seven Tests during the home summer after McCullum became head coach and Ben Stokes captain, with the positive ethos the side played with, dubbed 'Bazball', garnering victories over New Zealand, India and South Africa.

McCullum is unsure how that brand of cricket will fare in Pakistan, where England are touring in red-ball cricket for the first time since 2005, but insists there will be no place for timidity, saying his side have an "obligation to entertain".

"We are looking forward to coming over here and playing an entertaining style of cricket which hopefully ends up in results, whether that's in our favour or in Pakistan's favour," McCullum told reporters on Monday.

"We want to try and entertain people. Test cricket has not always been as popular as it used to be so we see an obligation to try and ensure people come away entertained. We've got an opportunity to do what we do best and exhibit our skills on the field.

"That style is not always going to be successful but we have seen that it can unlock your skill. In this game we can suffocate ourselves with the will for results and stymie the ability for talent to come out.

"We believe trying to put a positive, aggressive slant on it allows the talent to come out. We have had some success in recent history. It remains to be seen how it will go on the road.

"We will certainly respect the conditions but if we are given an opportunity to play aggressive and attacking cricket we will try and take that option.

"We know it may not necessarily be that the aggressive cricket is as prominent as in the past but there will be opportunities to play positively.

"It's authentic to the line-up we have, that's what gives the players the most amount of freedom and the best opportunity to perform at the highest level."

England have lost their last three away Test series, beaten 3-1 in India in early 2021 before being thrashed 4-0 in the 2021/22 Ashes and then losing 1-0 to West Indies in March of this year.

McCullum added: "To win away from home is the greatest accomplishment you can achieve as a Test player and side. We understand the size of the challenge ahead of us but that's why you want to play the game.

"You don't want easy challenges, you want to take on the best in their own conditions to test where you are at.

"I don't know if we are going to win the series but we will certainly be pushing for results. If we get beat, we know Pakistan will have played well.

"I expect us to play well but If we get outplayed, that's okay. Hopefully in a few weeks' time, everyone walks away saying it was an amazing series.

"This is a great place to tour and it has been starved of international cricket for a long period of time. We understand how passionate people are here in Pakistan about cricket and we understand the obligation that we have as an England side.

"[Stokes] wants [England's players] to be rockstars and to be a rockstar you've got to play in front of the big houses."

One of the things we have talked about is adapting to whatever we have been given, not getting too stuck in our preconceived thoughts. Hopefully if we are brave enough in the big moments we will come out with more runs than them.

Fast bowler Mark Wood - who will miss the opening Test with a hip injury - all-rounder Liam Livingstone, middle-order batter Harry Brook and captain Stokes have linked up with the Test team having been part of the triumphant T20 World Cup-winning squad in Australia.

McCullum said: "A few guys were part of the World Cup win and have come here with beaming smiles. They have a strut in their step which is fantastic.

"It's never easy to win World Cups and England did fantastic to win that World Cup. There is a lot of confidence from that and it is great on the back of what we achieved in the Test summer."

England Test squad for Pakistan series: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...ay-aggressive-cricket-in-pakistan-test-series

 

[Major]

Dumb statement. Pakistan should take advantage of the England approach. Draws are also important in context.

Fully agree with what [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said

 

[Colorblind Genius]

There is no entertainment if you are batting to please the crowd. Playing for the team and match situation is more important than just being a blind slogger. Gone are the days when the crowd goes mad on seeing so many sixes in a match, it looks normal nowadays.

This!
Once you shift all your focus on providing entertainment to the public then there is no stopping. You’ve gotta keep stepping up with proving “next level” of fake glitter because you can’t scare them with the same alligator everyday.

A natural and spontaneous situation in the game is what the viewers should count on in the name of entertainment.

And this is exactly why American baseball, or soccer games have a lot more interest without bending the rules. Players play to win and not to provide “entertainment to the crowd”.

If the rules are balanced and your game quality and skill is at a good level, entertainment for the crowd comes by itself.

In sports, “Entertainment” comes by hard fought games between two good quality teams - and not by half naked cheer leaders or playing in 60 yard grounds to see six after six after six.

 

[shariqnoor]

There is a fine line between aggression & recklessness. Besides, winning is the greatest form of entertainment.

There is no doubt that England were brilliant to watch last summer, but it would be interesting to see if they can sustain it especially away from home.

You cannot slog your way out of trouble every time. It is not sustainable. A lot of England’s success was down to Bairstow’s purple patch and we don’t know how he will fare once he returns. He was in a tremendous zone.

McCullum is a great character. A massive entertainer, but he has blurred the lines between aggression & madness numerous times in his career.

There is a Shahid Afridi inside him that has reared its ugly head multiple times.

He decided to slog Starc out of MCG in the first over of the 2015 World Cup Final, forgetting that he was not playing on tiny NZ grounds.

By his own admission, he later stated that he was not even watching the ball. He forgot to.

The biggest ODI match in NZ’s history, a World Cup final, and the captain who is opening the innings forgets to watch the ball and ends up killing his team’s chances of winning.

Stokes is more measured than McCullum and as captain, he will need to offset some of the recklessness that McCullum brings to the table.

But they are playing in Pakistan where it's much easier to score compared to Sri Lanka/Bangladesh/India. Also given the level of Pakistan's attack, England will spank 350 at the very least in a day easily. The only way to stop them is to produce spinning pitches which Pakistan has never done and won't do now. They will again prepare similar Australian series type wickets where they will look to play 500 vs 500.

 

[Markhor]

Dumb statement. Pakistan should take advantage of the England approach. Draws are also important in context.

Fully agree with what [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said

You play for the draw if it's not possible to win.

Pakistan played for a 0-0 drawn series vs Australia before a ball was even bowled with incredibly flat wickets which Ramiz admitted was to neutralise Australia's quicks.

Nobody's asking our batters to blindly slog, but going at 2 RPO on those featherbeds was a disgrace. Eventually our negative, avoid defeat first approach backfired in our faces.

These historic series against likes of Australia and England are our chance to showcase the country to the world in the best light. Dull pitches and timid tactics are not the way to do so, nor did it produce the desired result vs Australia.

 

[Major]

You play for the draw if it's not possible to win.

Pakistan played for a 0-0 drawn series vs Australia before a ball was even bowled with incredibly flat wickets which Ramiz admitted was to neutralise Australia's quicks.

Nobody's asking our batters to blindly slog, but going at 2 RPO on those featherbeds was a disgrace. Eventually our negative, avoid defeat first approach backfired in our faces.

These historic series against likes of Australia and England are our chance to showcase the country to the world in the best light. Dull pitches and timid tactics are not the way to do so, nor did it produce the desired result vs Australia.

I understand your point but that wasnt Pakistans fault though, that was PCB's fault.

The team couldn't had done anything that would had changed the result unless they bowled a miracle. Had Pakistan scored quickly, even Australia would had batted out for a draw, cause the PCB made those pitches that were not gonna give a result.

 

[Rana]

Dumb statement. Pakistan should take advantage of the England approach. Draws are also important in context.

Fully agree with what [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] said

England play with a lot of heart

Pakistan since Misbah retired have no clear strategy. The team under Babar has no identity

 

[Savak]

Pakistani wickets are not like the spinning minefields you see in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and neither do they spin like the UAE.

Pakistani wickets for the most part have usually been on the lower, slower, dead side and these wickets aid reverse swing later on around the 35-40 over mark.

Even if the wickets did aid spin, Pakistan does not have quality spinners.

Pakistan's pace attack in test cricket has not produced results and the abscence of Shaheen makes the attack look even worse.

I see no problems for England in adopting the Bazball approach on the Pakistani wickets.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Pakistan doesn't have many paying punters for test cricket Brendan so we are under no obligation to provide entertainment.

Hope we tuk tuk Jimmy Anderson to the extent he retires.

 

[Kianig89]

McCullum is in for big surprise as far as support is concerned, Test cricket is not Pak supporters Cup of tea unless something extraordinary happens empty stands awaits BMac

 

[Saj]

It's going to be fascinating to see how England approach this.

Will BazBall work out there?

Will they actually go for such an approach or is it a bluff?

How will Pakistan cope with the attacking approach from England?

 

[topspin]

I agree with McCullum but he forgot to mention that Misbah's brand of cricket was so slow, defensive and overall boring making it bad for the game.

Misbah's fans will get heartburn over this.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I agree with McCullum but he forgot to mention that Misbah's brand of cricket was so slow, defensive and overall boring making it bad for the game.

Misbah's fans will get heartburn over this.

Mccullum can only dream of crushing elite sides at home the way Pakistan crushed England and Australia.

England were left demoralised, couldnt even chase 140 in one match.

Australia got smoked in one of the biggest phaintas in the history of the game, Misbah scored the fastest test century.

Mccullum's England can only dream about giving Australia like that.

 

[Mamoon]

Mccullum can only dream of crushing elite sides at home the way Pakistan crushed England and Australia.

England were left demoralised, couldnt even chase 140 in one match.

Australia got smoked in one of the biggest phaintas in the history of the game, Misbah scored the fastest test century.

Mccullum's England can only dream about giving Australia like that.

It has a lot to do with the English conditions. England enjoys very little - if any - home advantage against teams like Australia, New Zealand & South Africa.

In fact, the home advantage England has over Asian sides is probably less than the other way around.

Misbah’s Pakistan’s home dominance is overrated though. They couldn’t beat South Africa in two attempts, couldn’t beat New Zealand, lost a Test to West Indies & were minutes away from losing the Abu Dhabi Test to England.

Also, losing a Test in Zimbabwe in 2013 is peak humiliation. It is better to get whitewashed at home to a top team instead of losing a Test in Zimbabwe.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

It has a lot to do with the English conditions. England enjoys very little - if any - home advantage against teams like Australia, New Zealand & South Africa.

In fact, the home advantage England has over Asian sides is probably less than the other way around.

Misbah’s Pakistan’s home dominance is overrated though. They couldn’t beat South Africa in two attempts, couldn’t beat New Zealand, lost a Test to West Indies & were minutes away from losing the Abu Dhabi Test to England.

Also, losing a Test in Zimbabwe in 2013 is peak humiliation. It is better to get whitewashed at home to a top team instead of losing a Test in Zimbabwe.

I agree that England pitches are more sporting. There were a few blips along the way but the only lost series in the UAE was against NZ, which is a solid record.

The second South Africa series really deserved to be a 3 test series and I genuinley think had it been 3 tests we would have edged them.

My main point was that the Misbah brand of cricket wasn't as dull or boring as fans now like to make out. He made pretty good use of mediocre resources and the on field displays (in the UAE at least) were quite entertaining.

They were certainly not bad for the game as Topspin claimed.

 

[Hitman]

Can’t wait for the series. I’m not missing a single day’s play. I just hope PCB doesn’t produce pitches like they did when Australia toured last time. Such pitches completely spoil the competition.

 

[James]

Brendon has led England to 6 out of 7 won Tests so far, and their batting lineup has gone from fearful and fragile to swashbuckling and fearless in run chases. I am hoping that he can take us to another great victory and give us some more wonderful memories this winter.

 

[Mamoon]

I agree that England pitches are more sporting. There were a few blips along the way but the only lost series in the UAE was against NZ, which is a solid record.

The second South Africa series really deserved to be a 3 test series and I genuinley think had it been 3 tests we would have edged them.

My main point was that the Misbah brand of cricket wasn't as dull or boring as fans now like to make out. He made pretty good use of mediocre resources and the on field displays (in the UAE at least) were quite entertaining.

They were certainly not bad for the game as Topspin claimed.

I agree with that. Winning 4/5 Tests against England & Australia and scoring fastest Test century was not boring by any means. Misbah had his moments in Test cricket.

Also, regardless of everything, he did take Pakistan to the top of the rankings which was a monumental achievement & something we are unlikely to see again in a very long time if ever.

 

[Saj]

The problem Pakistan has is that if they make spin-friendly pitches, our batters aren't great against spin.

Prepare seam-friendly pitches and England's seamers could rip through Pakistan's batting line-up.

 

[msb314]

I agree that England pitches are more sporting. There were a few blips along the way but the only lost series in the UAE was against NZ, which is a solid record.

The second South Africa series really deserved to be a 3 test series and I genuinley think had it been 3 tests we would have edged them.

My main point was that the Misbah brand of cricket wasn't as dull or boring as fans now like to make out. He made pretty good use of mediocre resources and the on field displays (in the UAE at least) were quite entertaining.

They were certainly not bad for the game as Topspin claimed.

That NZ loss was under Sarfraz (not Misbah). If we include Sarfraz’s reign - then we also lost to SL 0-2 in 2017

 

[Farabi]

Baz McCullum press conference:

When asked if England were ready for the series

"Not yet, but we've got a couple of days, it is nice to be here. We had a great camp in Abu Dhabi and spent some time together as a team trying to build that camaraderie back as a team after a bit of a break.

"We identified during the English summer that is a really important component to how this team is going to operate - a bit of social interaction for the boys but also some hard work.

"Guys are not screwed down yet but we'll get there in the next couple of days."

On Mark Wood injury

"Mark Wood is not going to make the first Test squad unfortunately because of his injury but we expect him to be ready for the second Test, otherwise we have a full squad to choose from,"

On Bazzball

"We'll find out I suppose," McCullum responded when asked if England's attacking approach can be successful.

"We'll respect the conditions but if we are given an opportunity to try and play aggressive and attacking cricket then we'll try and take that option.

"It is authentic to the line-up that we have. That's how they play their cricket and what gives them the most freedom and best opportunity to perform at the highest level.

"We know it might not be as prominent aggressive cricket as we've seen in the past but there will be opportunities to try and play positively and when that does arise I expect our guys to take that on."

He added: "We want to try and entertain people and in the time we've got in leadership positions amongst English cricket."

"Test hasn't always been as popular as it used to be in recent history so we see an obligation that if people turn on the TV anywhere around the world or they pay their money to come and watch you play that they head away somewhat entertained."

"For us it's about trying to play that style. We know it is not always going to be successful. What we have seen over a short period of time is it can unlock your skill."

"We can suffocate ourselves but our want or will for results stymie for our talent to come out. If we're trying to put a positive slant on the style of play then it allows the talent to come out. That is what we believe."

"We have had some success in recent history with it. I expect us to still play positively given the opportunities."


On Shaheen Shah Afridi

"I know him pretty well. He’s a wonderful bowler and he's turned into a fine leader for Pakistani cricket, Shaheen's obviously a big loss."

"You look at their team sheet and you see talent... you see some that might not be developed talent, but it's talent.

"You need to respect that, and you need to find a way to be able to be well-researched and well-planned about what's going to come at you."


"It's a very good Pakistan squad, it's well-rounded"

"It's got some experience and some youth -- with both batting and bowling -- and they’ll be a tough challenge.

"We know we'll have to play well if we're going to be successful."

People aren’t necessarily entertained more by batting fireworks than they are from great contest between bat and all.
Best test matches I’ve seen tend to have 35+ wickets, game going to the last session on the 5th day with a gripping, never ending sea saw battle where both teams are throwing punches till the end.

 

[MenInG]

Ben Duckett has edged out Keaton Jennings to open the batting in Pakistan and, in his second crack at Test cricket, will find an England environment where a freewheeling style is given licence to thrive.

Duckett played four Tests in 2016 and averaged 15.71 in Bangladesh and India. His last Test innings in Vizag was a 16-ball duck. It was macabre viewing as he was tormented by Ravi Ashwin after being given orders to try and block for a draw as the team sank to a heavy defeat.

His only success that winter came in Dhaka where he blazed a fifty reverse-sweeping Shakib Al Hasan into the stands with the kind of innings taken as a desperate attempt to slog his way out of trouble in that environment but now looks ahead of its time given the recent revolution in England’s thinking.

A very respectable first-class average of 41.6 proves he can play red-ball cricket and is more than a Twenty20 merchant. He has amassed 2,111 first-class runs over the past three summers for Notts, averaging 52 in the Championship – far better than Zak Crawley, for example. Strike-rates were largely irrelevant in Test selection before Brendon McCullum came along, but Duckett scoring 72 runs per 100 balls last summer batting mainly at No 3 went a long way to him being named as a reserve for the Oval Test against South Africa when Jonny Bairtstow was injured.

He was the second-highest run scorer for England in the T20 series against Pakistan in September, looking very adept against spin which sealed his Test spot, replacing Alex Lees, even though Jennings, with two hundreds in Asia to his name, was picked in the squad.

Lees never fully convinced wearing the disguise of a dashing opener to fit into McCullum’s thinking when his natural game is to accumulate in a manner befitting a player who learned his game at Yorkshire.

Duckett will not have to change to fit in, with McCullum signalling after the team’s first practice session at the Rawalpindi Stadium on Monday that he wants the same approach – “It remains to be seen how that will go on the road but I still envisage that we will play positive cricket,” he said. Duckett was first in the nets – facing Stokes and Ollie Robinson as England began their preparations after arriving on Sunday.

Never underestimate the clarity of message in Test cricket. Duckett knows what is expected of him and can be confident he has the coach and captain’s backing if he does not succeed playing the way they demand. He was a little out of sorts scoring 28 against the Lions last week but was facing Jofra Archer bowling quickly and with a point to prove.

At least if he fails this time he will do it staying true to his talent, which was not the case in 2016. As he said at the time: "Cookie spoke to us – 'we're going to try to bat all day here, whether it's 20 runs off 160 balls'. That isn't my game. My way of batting for the draw is actually trying to get 120 off 160.” Music to the ears of the current regime.

He should naturally compliment his opening partner, Crawley, not just as a right/left-hand combination. Crawley at 6ft 5in towers over Duckett at 5ft 6in, and the height differential will force bowlers to readjust their lengths. Their scoring areas are different – Duckett strong square and Crawley down the ground – and this is a good opportunity for both with opening one of the best spots to bat in Pakistan because the new ball does not swing as much as it does in other parts of the world. Reverse will take around 50 overs to materialise, although the lushness of the square at the Pindi stadium suggests it might not be such a factor in the first Test anyway. No Shaheen Shah Afridi, injured in the World Cup final and also recovering from surgery to remove his appendix, helps too.

Duckett had a good reputation playing spin in England when he was first called up but soon learned that being able to play the turning ball in county cricket is very different to facing it in India. He has tweaked his technique since facing Ashwin, showing less of his stumps having been bowled by balls pitching middle and leg and hitting off, and the pitches in Pakistan will not turn like they did in India six years ago.

Duckett has also matured off the field since his brush with the Test squad in Australia in 2017-18. Then he was fined and suspended for pouring beer over James Anderson’s head at a time when a drinking culture was partly blamed for England’s troubles. Duckett was in Australia with the Lions and that incident set him back until new management swept in.

Duckett will be given a run at the top of the order and it is Crawley that is under more pressure. Stokes and McCullum have invested in Crawley’s promise but he was poor last summer, his shot selection still a problem and few signs of improvement after 28 Test matches.

Jennings is a good tourist – popular with players and management, hard working and a brilliant short leg as well as a good player of spin. He will push Crawley if he continues to struggle.

Duckett can be versatile and is seen as an option anywhere in the top five but he will start as an opener and if he can grab his chance it will solve one of England’s long-standing problems.

Livingstone could play first Test despite lack of red-ball cricket

England are not reluctant to overturn convention these days and Brendon McCullum will have no hesitation in picking Liam Livingstone if he feels he is the right fit for the first Test even though he has not played first-class cricket since 2021.

Livingstone has concentrated on white ball cricket since nailing his position in England’s one day teams two summers ago and in turn becoming a big signing on the franchise circuit thanks to his six hitting prowess and all-round skills.

But his first taste of England touring was as a spare batsman in the squad for a Test series in New Zealand in 2018 while his first-class batting average of 38.36 is respectable and only dipped as his white ball game took precedence.

He is competing for a place in the Test XI in Rawalpindi with Will Jacks who bowled better in the nets on Monday and was a regular for championship winners Surrey playing 11 out of 14 matches, averaging 54.

Both could play, offering England three spin options alongside Jack Leach but that would require one of them batting five in place of Harry Brook, who made his Test debut in that position against South Africa in September when Jonny Bairstow was injured.

England like Brook, Ben Stokes was so keen to pick him last summer that they considered using him as an opener, so it would go against their normal thinking not to give him a decent run this winter with Bairstow probably not fit until the summer.

So it looks like Jacks or Livingstone at seven – Jacks with his off-spin and Livingstone bowling leg and off-spin depending on the situation – unless McCullum really wants to spring a shock and pick 18 year-old leggie Rehan Ahmed, who was only added to the squad a week ago.

Livingstone had more or less given up on red ball cricket under Joe Root’s England captaincy but he is close to Stokes and is exactly the kind of cricketer he and McCullum like – aggressive with the bat and feisty too.

“I've seen a bit of him on the T20 circuit and international cricket and enjoyed his style of play – he bowls off-spin, leg-spin, fields well and smacks the ball out of the park – it's hard not to get around a player who plays like that,” said McCullum after England’s first net session in Pakistan.

“He carries himself in a great way and a great manner. It's a real feather in the cap for the skipper and some of the senior players within the group that one of the best T20 players in the world is desperate to be part of this squad because of the goodwill that's been built up over the last few months.

“So they've got all excited for his involvement and I'm sure he'll be able to put in a strong performance given the opportunity.”

When asked if he thinks it matters that Livingstone has not played red ball cricket since the 2021 summer – when he averaged just 11 for Lancashire – McCullum was unfazed. “Not really. I think he's a good player, so we'll find out I suppose.”

Ahmed was described as a “rough diamond” and “nowhere near the finished article” with this tour an invaluable learning experience. “What's the alternative? Leave him in a system which may not come through necessarily as the product you'd hope for in the end?” said McCullum. “So we get him in here and we believe we can help get his talent through quicker. He's a rare talent worth investing in, and we'll make sure we'll try to look after him.”

James Anderson and Ollie Robinson look to be the choice seamers for the first Test on a pitch that is likely to be flat and full of runs. Mark Wood is injured and Jamie Overton is the other option but likely to play when England rotate Robinson.

Pakistan scored 728 for four across two innings in Rawalpindi against Australia earlier this year on a graveyard of a pitch. There was a covering of grass on Monday but it will be shaved before the Test starts and it is likely to be low and slow, with Pakistan wary of giving England’s firecrackers with the bat much carry to work with.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket...-keaton-jennings-opening-spot-england-double/

 

[DeadlyVenom]

That NZ loss was under Sarfraz (not Misbah). If we include Sarfraz’s reign - then we also lost to SL 0-2 in 2017

NZ loss was under Misbah. It was during this series that we had news of Phil Hughes death and Mccullum just went ballistic in Sharjah.

Ross Taylors comments were interesting

“I think it just goes on to show that when you take out the pressure in a game situation, and just bat like when you were a little kid, how things evolve.

“In terms of his frame of mind, I guess Brendon and the whole team are just trying to play cricket for what it is, and not look too far ahead."

Perhaps this is where the bazball philosophy started to be shaped?

 

[Jazx]

This!
Once you shift all your focus on providing entertainment to the public then there is no stopping. You’ve gotta keep stepping up with proving “next level” of fake glitter because you can’t scare them with the same alligator everyday.

A natural and spontaneous situation in the game is what the viewers should count on in the name of entertainment.

And this is exactly why American baseball, or soccer games have a lot more interest without bending the rules. Players play to win and not to provide “entertainment to the crowd”.

If the rules are balanced and your game quality and skill is at a good level, entertainment for the crowd comes by itself.

In sports, “Entertainment” comes by hard fought games between two good quality teams - and not by half naked cheer leaders or playing in 60 yard grounds to see six after six after six.

Exactly, you nailed it!

 

[Nikhil_cric]

A few things to note.

Bazball has worked whenever England chased in a country where the pitches don't really deteriorate everywhere. Bazball worked in a year where the Dukes ball has been pathetic - kookaburra is a better ball now.

It will be interesting to see if England can do that on very low and slow pitches which might deteriorate and away from home.

The true test of Bazball starts on Thursday.

 

[jnaveen1980]

There is a fine line between aggression & recklessness. Besides, winning is the greatest form of entertainment.

There is no doubt that England were brilliant to watch last summer, but it would be interesting to see if they can sustain it especially away from home.

You cannot slog your way out of trouble every time. It is not sustainable. A lot of England’s success was down to Bairstow’s purple patch and we don’t know how he will fare once he returns. He was in a tremendous zone.

McCullum is a great character. A massive entertainer, but he has blurred the lines between aggression & madness numerous times in his career.

There is a Shahid Afridi inside him that has reared its ugly head multiple times.

He decided to slog Starc out of MCG in the first over of the 2015 World Cup Final, forgetting that he was not playing on tiny NZ grounds.

By his own admission, he later stated that he was not even watching the ball. He forgot to.

The biggest ODI match in NZ’s history, a World Cup final, and the captain who is opening the innings forgets to watch the ball and ends up killing his team’s chances of winning.

Stokes is more measured than McCullum and as captain, he will need to offset some of the recklessness that McCullum brings to the table.

Correct. It was not the entire team that was involved in that process. Mainly bairstow , same guy who looked utterly clueless against Mohammad shami in the first leg of Indian series. And Jo Root. And also it so happened to take place in flat English conditions where fast scoring was possible. Outside ENgland they are yet to showcase their "bazball" approach.

 

[jnaveen1980]

A few things to note.

Bazball has worked whenever England chased in a country where the pitches don't really deteriorate everywhere. Bazball worked in a year where the Dukes ball has been pathetic - kookaburra is a better ball now.

It will be interesting to see if England can do that on very low and slow pitches which might deteriorate and away from home.

The true test of Bazball starts on Thursday.

Stokes was way too arrogant after the chase saying "We hoped they set the target of 450 just to challenge us"

 

[Kriketer]

Some good reads in this thread. Will be a tough series for Pakistan if pitch has life, but I feel England will be in for a surprise. Won't refer to our last series in Pakistan which followed up after famous Ashes 05, as it had our batting greats and Akhtar was on fire. Looking forward to a good series (only if pitches are half decent)