England Test head coach Brendon McCullum spoke about the upcoming five-match series in India next year. He also shared his thoughts on whether England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ method will work in India.
England will visit India for five Tests which will begin on January 25 and will be played in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala.
Speaking about whether England's attacking style of cricket, known as 'Bazball' among cricket fans, will be sustainable in India's mostly spin-friendly conditions, McCullum said that one does not need to think too much because the team is playing this way because they love cricket and want to be the best at it.
"I do not know (about the attacking game being sustainable). I do not think we need to think too deeply about it in the end. I think we are playing the game because we love cricket and you want to try and be as good at cricket as you possibly can. And during the time that you are in the chair (as a coach), you want to make sure you enjoy it. You should not wait till the end of your career to have enjoyed it," said McCullum at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Innovation Lab's Leader's Meet.
The coach stated that the side is fortunate to have had some rapid success in Test cricket under his and skipper Ben Stokes' leadership and that certain players have unlocked their potential in the last 18 months or so.
"So we are very lucky that we have had some immediate success in the time that we have been there playing this style of Cricket, which gives guys the greatest amount of satisfaction. I do not think it is a ceiling for us, but we will find out in the next little while. But whatever happens, I think we have seen some guys sort of unlock their potential in the last 18 months or so. And that is what the job is as a leader, is to get the most out of people who you are in charge of and done that for a fair few," he added.
England is currently in West Indies for a white-ball tour, while India is in South Africa for an all-format tour.
(ANI inputs)
