'Quite scary, need to be careful about this brand of cricket'- R Ashwin opines on Bazball

Bazball is the new way of England playing Test cricket without any fear.

By Jatin Sharma - 13 Jul, 2022

India spinner R Ashwin gave his thoughts on England’s new ‘Bazball’ brand of cricket under the new leadership of Test coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. The Brendon McCullum-inspired term 'Bazball' refers to the new approach England have taken up in Test cricket, where the player does not shy away from injecting a bit of pace into their batting innings.

This approach has resulted in England chasing down 299 runs inside 50 overs on day 5 of a Test against New Zealand recently and then chasing down 378 at breakneck speed against India in Edgbaston Test.

While this sounds like an exciting prospect, Ashwin is not sure it is ideal for Test cricket, especially from a bowler's point of view.

"It was amazing to watch, but as a bowler it is quite scary to think where the game is headed. I definitely think the ball and the pitches have a role to play in how England are playing, permitting a certain brand of cricket," Ashwin told The Telegraph.

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McCullum himself called the term ‘Bazball’ silly and downplayed the significance of the results England has achieved with its swashbuckling new approach, saying that tougher challenges await.

Even Australia Test vice-captain Steve Smith stated that the longevity and success of Bazball will be tested when England batters face off against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in Australian conditions.

Ashwin though added that whether 'Bazball' is ideal for Test cricket is something he is not sure of.

"I think we need to be careful about this brand of cricket being the way forward. Test cricket has been the same for hundreds of years and there will be games and series that are played like that. Whether it's the same brand of cricket you play all along is very debatable," the India spinner pointed out.

By Jatin Sharma - 13 Jul, 2022

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