Brendon McCullum has opened up on the two pivotal moments that sealed the ‘Bazball’ philosophy with his players and turned them into world beaters.
In typically no nonsense style McCullum lays bare the thinking behind the Test revolution sparked by his appointment as head coach alongside Ben Stokes as captain last year.
And it was the commitment to that vision and ethos during the second Test against New Zealand when it first started to stick.
In a compelling documentary put together by the ECB’s digital team, McCullum explains that their target of 299 from 72 overs might have daunted some, but Stokes made it clear that now was the time to put their foot down.
“I remember the skipper walked in and he said ‘Baz, now is the time we need you to nail the message,’ said McCullum. “So it stemmed from Stokesy and I was just the mouthpiece at the time able to reinforce that.
“From the start to that point we had been talking about this and that moment was lending itself to the question ‘How serious are you about this? Are you going to shit the bed and go back to normal or are you actually true to your word?’
“What followed from there was ridiculous, and no-one could have scripted it. The whole team went, ‘ok, this is what we’re doing.’ We could have lost that game but it wouldn’t have mattered because at least we took that attitude to it. Anyone who watched that game would have walked away entertained.”
Two further wins against New Zealand and India led England to their series with South Africa and the second moment that meant Bazball was here to stay.
An innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s could have stopped things in their tracks, but McCullum knew instantly that the response had to be to double down even harder, and from there England have not looked back.
“To be constrained and suffocated by the fear of failure to me makes no sense,” added McCullum. “You understand the risk when you start playing sport that there is going to be a winner and a loser. If someone is good enough to stand up to you and look you in the eye and beat you then you put your hand out and say fair play.
“If at the moment you get beaten by someone you throw that mantra out the window then you’re just kidding yourself. You’ve got no chance. You want to keep reminding them that you should do what makes you happy and with your talent good things will happen to you along the way.”
And boy has it worked, with more success to follow against the Proteas, in Pakistan and in New Zealand, with a group of players who are having more fun than ever and who have totally bought into the concept.
Stokes is leading it and embodying it out on the field, but McCullum is nudging and cajoling and encouraging off it, with a new way of looking at a player’s worth.
“For some people, their ledger is runs, wickets, wins, losses,” he added. “The skipper and mine is not that. It is heart, soul, commitment. That is important because it is one thing having good cricketers, but it is another thing having good human beings and guys who are invested in what you are trying to achieve.”
