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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jonathan Liew

Bazball isn’t a philosophy or blueprint – it is a response to a game in decay

England have chased down 277, 299, 296 and 378 in Tests since Brendon McCullum (left) took over as head coach.
England have chased down 277, 299, 296 and 378 in Tests since Brendon McCullum (left) took over as head coach. Photograph: James Marsh/Shutterstock

Apparently Brendon McCullum hates the term “Bazball”. This is, of course, exactly as it should be. One of the cardinal rules of Bazball, perhaps even its defining motif, is that no established narrative must be allowed to stand unchallenged. Anything you think you know about Bazball is wrong.

Everything ever spoken about it has been wrong. Bazball is about making up your own rationale as you go, and so any attempt to pin it down, to define it or even name it, must necessarily be doomed to failure.

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