Bazball 4.7

CP on whatever the latest iteration is

The Shiekh of Tweak

To moan, or not to moan. That is the question.

There’s an overwhelming desire to roll your eyes at the latest reincarnation of Bazball. And that’s from here looking out, let alone if you’re overseas and looking in.

In an act of due diligence, I did a self-audit of my own Cricket Et Al pieces ahead of the Ashes to see how the messaging then, of a smarter, wiser England team who had learnt their lessons after throwing away a series win against India, compared to now. When following their thrashing against Australia, they have promised once again, to be a smarter, wiser England team, who have learnt their lessons.

My standpoint has ever been thus. I like Brendon McCullum. I’ve enjoyed his time as coach and found the adventure, as nonsensical as it has been, fun. But after four years the experiment didn’t work. And so, I don’t believe he should be coach now.

Regardless of what happens from this point onwards, the Bazball blueprint failed. And even a home victory against Australia next summer will not mean it has all been worth it. You can’t, in all seriousness, win one out of five series against Australia and India and declare it mission accomplished all because it’s the last of the ones you’re in charge of. There are groundsmen who have moved fewer goalposts in their time.

That’s the moaning bit done. Because we’re here now. And while the series against New Zealand will take place in the shadow of the football World Cup, it’ll be a good one.

Their seam attack is world-class, and their batting line-up features a great of the previous generation in Kane Williamson and a potential great of the next in Rachin Ravindra. England can play well here and lose. A fact that creates a banana skin of England’s own making in only respecting nations who begin with an I or an A.

‘I’m still here’