Party Dozen

CP on England's twelve for Perth

But can it work in Australia? Finally, we’re about to find out.

I took offence to something Brendon McCullum said on a podcast in September. “I think there’s a misconception about the way we play,” McCullum said on Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler’s show For the Love of Cricket. “That we swing as hard as we can, try and take wickets and then we go and play golf and have a few beers. I find it slightly disrespectful.”

But you love swinging as hard as you can, playing golf and having a few beers. That’s your whole thing.

Bazball 2.0. Bazball with brains. A refined version of the artist formerly known as Bazball. Call it what you want, but England arrive in Australia preaching a less x-rated version of their style of play.

In an interview with Michael Atherton, Harry Brook spoke of his regret at the shot he played against India which sparked the collapse which lost the Test match and drew the series. Ben Duckett talks of the need to absorb pressure rather than just put it on, and Ben Stokes explains that where previously they’d play then plan, now they plan then play. Boring. Thankfully, their twelve for Perth finds them still playing the hits: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood.

Mark Wood last played a competitive match in February. He bowled his first overs in a match against the Lions a week ago, all eight of them, and immediately had to go to hospital. His scan was clear and he was declared so fully fit that he wasn’t risked for the rest of the match - just in case he might have had to, you know, bowl. As a result, he will likely play in Perth as the first-ever Kamikaze Test cricketer. Mark, this is a one-way ticket. If you love your country, you will die while bowling to Cameron Green. I’ve always said it.

He’s in