Bazball

Brendon McCullum (left) and Ben Stokes, the key figures behind Bazball

Bazball is an informal term coined by ESPN Cricinfo UK editor Andrew Miller during the 2022 English cricket season, referring to the style of play of the England cricket team in Test matches. It was developed after the appointments of Brendon McCullum (whose nickname is Baz) as Test head coach and Ben Stokes as Test captain by English cricket managing director Rob Key in May 2022.

The Bazball style and mindset is said to have an emphasis on taking positive decisions in attack and defence, whether batting or in the field. Many of these skills and strategies were developed in playing One Day International and Twenty20 matches.^[1] Since the inception of the style until June 2023, England averaged a run rate of 4.65 per over, significantly higher than the next highest in Test match history. A faster scoring rate has allowed the team to declare their innings earlier and seek a result where ordinarily a draw would occur.

^ Baum, Greg (21 December 2022). "Will Australia come to the Bazball?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Newspapers. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.

[:1-1] Baum, Greg (21 December 2022). "Will Australia come to the Bazball?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Newspapers. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.

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