Published: Sep 09, 2025, 12:46 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 09, 2025, 12:46 PM (IST)
“Bazball” brand of cricket was not a “rigid” playing style but about giving “freedom” to the players to express themselves and the “misconceptions” about the approach was “disrespectful” to them, feels England head coach Brendon McCullum.
McCullum took over England’s Test side in 2022, and he, along with captain Ben Stokes, revived a team that had won one match in 17. They have since become known for a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket, particularly with the bat, which came to be known as “Bazball“.
But, McCullum, who dislikes the term “Bazball”, said he has frustrations around how they are perceived as a team.
“We never have that kind of mindset about ourselves in the sense that, we’re not rigid in how we go about things,” McCullum told the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast, as reported by ‘BBC Sport’.
“I think there’s a bit of a misconception about how we play, that we swing the bat as hard as we can, we try to take wickets and then we go for a round of golf and a few beers.
“I find it slightly disrespectful to all of you guys (the players) and all of the people in the set-up who work so hard and have such clear determination of wanting to succeed, to have that so simply categorised, almost.”
The former New Zealand captain said his emphasis has always been around players’ mindset, rather than instilling a particular way of playing or a focus on high scoring.
“For us, it’s about trying to create an environment that allows you to handle the pressures of international cricket, to understand the size of that task but to not be restricted in your ability to play,” McCullum added.
“You want your talent to come out, I hate seeing talent stymied, so having a certain style or belief in how we want to play gives us the best chance of success. You can’t do that if you are bound by this tension and negativity.”
McCullum said that when he was appointed in 2022, he felt he was not suited to the white-ball role because at that time they needed someone to take them “from good to great“.
“I felt like what you guys needed at that time, my skills were kind of suited to that (Test cricket) – giving guys confidence and encouragement to push the boundaries of their games,” the former swashbuckling batter said.
“I looked at where the white-ball side was at and I was thinking, that’s not really my skill, I’m about giving a team soul and purpose and freedom, and pushing them towards bravery on the field.
“So I felt the Test team was more aligned to that, at the time,” said McCullum who was also made ODI and T20I head coach in January this year.
