Rob Key, Bazball and the Shane Warne connection

PL: on how an Australian spinning legend influenced England's revolutionary director of cricket

“The only comparison I can make is with Shane Warne. Both see cricket differently to anyone else.”

Andrew Flintoff on his friend Rob Key

England’s moment of truth is at hand. Things have fallen their way, injuries have taken out two of Australia’s best seamers, and the top six is either past its best, hoping to recapture its best, or is yet to demonstrate what its best is.

Bazball, the grand experiment in place for the best part of four years, faces its biggest trial. You could argue that Bazball was created in response to England’s abject performance in the 2021-22 Ashes and was created with one thing in mind: winning the 2025-26 series.

Winning a Test – something no England side has managed since 2010-11 would be a good start, but winning the series is what it is all about.

Bazball 1.0 couldn’t quite get over the line at home in 2019, but Bazball 2.0 hopes to have ironed out the glitches in the software.

Rob Key’s biography features a chapter on Shane Warne

In 2022, Rob Key was commentating for the local broadcaster on Australia’s tour of Pakistan, but fielding calls from home between shifts.

England had just put in one of the most dispiriting Ashes performances in living memory. It had excuses, given the circumstances of its time, but the pandemic could not excuse the prolonged and alarming form line. Under Joe Root the side had one win in 17 Tests. Timid didn’t come close to explaining what was going on in the heads of the side coached by Chris Silverood. In the middle of that year, when opportunity beckoned against New Zealand at Lord’s, the home side appeared constipated by caution, scoring 49 from the first 23 overs. With eight wickets in hand and 217 runs needed in the last session, the side stayed huddled behind Root, opting to draw rather than challenge the moment.

The crisis was not wasted. Ashley Giles was removed as director of cricket, the coaching positions were vacated, and Root stood down as captain. Time to start again.

Word got out that Key was being considered to take over as director of cricket. Why would you do that? I asked him one day as we watched the game play out from an empty commentary box when both of us were between shifts.

From where I sat, the idea of roaming the world with your golf clubs and commentating on the game seemed like a sweet job. I’d just watched Justin Langer go through a protracted and personally painful period on his way out the door from the Australian job, and his side had won the Ashes. Key wasn’t going to coach the team, but he’d be as responsible for its performances as the person in that role. Giles and Silverwood’s exit was proof of that.

Who needs that sort of stress?

Key responded with simple wisdom: here was the opportunity to make a difference.