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Bazball 'misconceptions' are how to count cards in poker'disrespectful' - McCullumImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Brendon McCullum took over England's Test team in 2022 and the white-ball sides in 2024ByFfion WynneBBC Sport journalistPublished8 September 2025494 Comments"Misconceptions" surrounding England's team and their style of play are "disrespectful", according to head coach Brendon McCullum. McCullum took over England's Test side in 2022 alongside captain Ben Stokes and revived a team that had won one match in 17. They have since become known for a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket, particularly with the bat, but McCullum - who dislikes the term "Bazball" which was coined to describe the approach - has frustrations around how they are perceived as a team. "We never have that kind of mindset about ourselves in the sense that, we're not rigid in how we go about things," McCullum told the For the Love of Cricket podcast. "I think there's a bit of a misconception about how we play, that we swing the bat as hard as we can, we try to take wickets and then we go for a round of golf and a few beers. "I find it slightly disrespectful to all of you guys [the players] and all of the people in the set-up who work so hard and have such clear determination of wanting to succeed, to have that so simply categorised, almost." Before the start of the summer, McCullum called on his players to show more "humility" after making headlines with some of their comments which were perceived as not caring enough about winning. Comments which caused a stir include Ben Duckett saying it did not matter that England lost 3-0 to India as long as they went on to win the Champions Trophy, while in September last year Harry Brook said "if you get caught somewhere on the boundary, then who cares?" when asked about his side's one-day batting approach.But McCullum added that his messaging has always been around players' mindset, rather than instilling a particular way of playing or a focus on high scoring."For us, it's about trying to create an environment that allows you to handle the pressures of international cricket, to understand the size of that task but to not be restricted in your ability to play," McCullum added."You want your talent to come out, I hate seeing talent stymied, so having a certain style or belief in how we want to play gives us the best chance of success."You can't do that if you are bound by this tension and negativity. I know they want to win, I know I want to win, I know the opposition wants to win."Just because I keep saying it doesn't mean it's just going to happen, so how do we go about that?"England yet to decide Ashes team - coach McCullumPublished8 SeptemberCould brilliant Bethell give England Ashes conundrum?Published7 SeptemberBrendon McCullum exclusive: England, Ashes, IPL and hating the phrase ‘Bazball’2025 is a defining year for McCullum and Stokes' side, which started with a thrilling drawn series against India before the Ashes starts in Perth on 21 November. It has been a difficult year for the white-ball team, however, which McCullum took over last year. They were thrashed by India away from home before crashing out of the Champions Trophy, and while Harry Brook led a clean sweep over West Indies in his first series in charge, they were recently beaten 2-1 in the one-day international series against South Africa. McCullum said that when he was appointed in 2022, he felt he was not suited to the white-ball role because at that time they needed someone to take them "from good to great", while he is now tasked with a similar rebuild that he managed with the Test side."I felt like what you guys needed at that time, my skills were kind of suited to that [Test cricket] – giving guys confidence and encouragement to push the boundaries of their games," McCullum said."I looked at where the white-ball side was at and I was thinking, that's not really my skill, I'm about giving a team soul and purpose and freedom, and pushing them towards bravery on the field. "So I felt the Test team was more aligned to that, at the time."Related topicsEngland Men's Cricket TeamCricketMore on this storyHow do England win the Ashes down under?Get cricket news sent straight to your phonePublished16 AugustComments can not be loadedTo load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browserCommentsJoin the conversationThese comments are now closed.494 commentsShowLatestOldestHighest RatedMost RepliedMComment by Maureen Rees Forever at 00:53 9 SepMaureen Rees Forever00:53 9 SepBazball, a word invented by clickbait journalists.Can we please stop using this ridiculous word and write proper articles about cricket?Reply23216Show comment linksCComment by Cynical Sid at 01:51 9 SepCynical Sid01:51 9 Septo Maureen Rees Forever"Bazball, a word invented by clickbait journalists. Can we please stop using this ridiculous word and write proper articles about cricket?"I'm bamboozled by all this ??Reply1124Show comment linksMore replies (20)MComment by Mr Standfast at 05:34 9 SepMr Standfast05:34 9 SepDisrespect has nothing to do with it. The public are fully entitled to hold different views to Brendon McCullum, I certainly do. There is no disrespect for him, his views or his coaching style, but there is criticism. If senior figures in the game cannot accept criticism from the public, we are left with an untouchable senior elite and that is a very worrying position to be in.Reply22723Show comment linksHComment by hackoflondon at 07:36 9 Sephackoflondon07:36 9 Septo Mr Standfast"Disrespect has nothing to do with it. The public are fully entitled to hold different views to Brendon McCullum, I certainly do. There is no disrespect for him, his views or his coaching style, but there is criticism. If senior figures in the game cannot accept criticism from the public, we are left with an untouchable senior elite and that is a very worrying position to be in."The problem is, most of the criticism is confused or lacking any solution. People say things b like "play proper cricket" or "don't get out". The team has been successful. Far more so than for most of my lifetime. And great to watch at the same time.Reply11422Show comment linksMore replies (35)RComment by RMJ at 07:02 9 SepRMJ07:02 9 SepTurning up at Headingley for the first ODI with an under prepared team and batting likng a Sunday 3rd XI in front of 18000 paying customers - now that is disrespectful.Reply17917Show comment linksRComment by Richie Benaud at 07:17 9 SepRichie Benaud07:17 9 Septo RMJ"Turning up at Headingley for the first ODI with an under prepared team and batting likng a Sunday 3rd XI in front of 18000 paying customers - now that is disrespectful."That wasn’t his fault that England were unprepared, that was scheduling. The 100 for some reason has priority over international cricket. Once the team had adjusted, the 2nd and 3rd games were decent.Reply8720Show comment linksMore replies (9)JComment by James at 02:37 9 SepJames02:37 9 SepPerhaps this 'misconception' has been fuelled by the brash, arrogant and often ill advised comments made by certain England players, Captain Stokes included. The best teams bring their fans with them rather than dismiss them with the attitude that they will prove people wrong.Reply18145Show comment linksAComment by Alan at 03:40 9 SepAlan03:40 9 Septo James"Perhaps this 'misconception' has been fuelled by the brash, arrogant and often ill advised comments made by certain England players, Captain Stokes included. The best teams bring their fans with them rather than dismiss them with the attitude that they will prove people wrong."When it comes to 'unlikeable', Stokes is top of the pile.Reply92210Show comment linksMore replies (21)RComment by Richard at 03:10 9 SepRichard03:10 9 SepI think Baz has been a breath of fresh air. I love the team's positive approach. The players have been given the confidence to succeed. Every game is there to be won. Cricket has never been so exciting. Long may it continue. Well done, Baz. Nice one, Ben. Viva England!Reply15656Show comment linksBComment by bigmuddballs at 06:06 9 Sepbigmuddballs06:06 9 Septo Richard"I think Baz has been a breath of fresh air. I love the team's positive approach. The players have been given the confidence to succeed. Every game is there to be won. Cricket has never been so exciting. Long may it continue. Well done, Baz. Nice one, Ben. Viva England!"Agree but solely down to 2 Kiwis to ignore the usual conservative denial of vision and flair associated with all English sport.Otherwise, it would be the usual hum drum.Reply1937Show comment linksMore replies (11)HComment by HarryLock18 at 00:31 9 SepHarryLock1800:31 9 SepAs much as I've loved watching England and the Baz experiment some of the decisions made in team selection is just bafflingBethell being raised up as the England batting saviour whole James Rew has lit up all formats with white and red ball, Crawley seemingly irreplaceable with an average lower than his world ranking and the continued use of Bashir with his limited skill setBoggles the mindReply11620Show comment linksMComment by mrnoneofyourbusiness at 01:34 9 Sepmrnoneofyourbusiness01:34 9 Septo HarryLock18"As much as I've loved watching England and the Baz experiment some of the decisions made in team selection is just baffling Bethell being raised up as the England batting saviour whole James Rew has lit up all formats with white and red ball, Crawley seemingly irreplaceable with an average lower than his world ranking and the continued use of Bashir with his limited skill set Boggles the mind"I don't think McCullum has ever suggested that Bethell is the new saviour of England's batting. He's simply made a good start to his international career. As for Crawley, he won't go down in history as an all time great but he hasn't done much wrong. Who should replace him?Bashir is another who hasn't done much wrong. Stokes and McCullum actually know these players.Reply5470Show comment linksMore replies (16)SComment by Spoondog at 00:16 9 SepSpoondog00:16 9 SepSome aspects of the way England play under McCullum have been a real breath of fresh air & exactly what test cricket needed, particularly the way they approach run chases. However, other times the decision making has been borderline arrogant & certainly complacent, particularly when it comes to hammering home their advantage by building 1st innings leads. Smacks of brinkmanship for the hell of it.Reply799Show comment linksAComment by Airbag at 06:15 9 SepAirbag06:15 9 Septo Spoondog"Some aspects of the way England play under McCullum have been a real breath of fresh air & exactly what test cricket needed, particularly the way they approach run chases. However, other times the decision making has been borderline arrogant & certainly complacent, particularly when it comes to hammering home their advantage by building 1st innings leads. Smacks of brinkmanship for the hell of it."They’re going to be humble, they are going to be the most humble players in world! You’ll have never seen any cricketers more humble than them!Reply1511Show comment linksMore replies (2)SComment by stuart at 02:51 9 Sepstuart02:51 9 SepWhat is disrespectful is the grabbing defeat from jaws of victory that England have become experts in every series. We have the technical ability but not the mental toughness or patience.We love you Joe. The one guy who has both.Reply749Show comment linksHComment by hackoflondon at 07:38 9 Sephackoflondon07:38 9 Septo stuart"What is disrespectful is the grabbing defeat from jaws of victory that England have become experts in every series. We have the technical ability but not the mental toughness or patience. We love you Joe. The one guy who has both."Give examples.Reply319Show comment linksMore replies (12)GComment by gazza at 05:51 9 Sepgazza05:51 9 Sepwe are ranked eighth in the world. . nothing more has to be said. . results speak for themselves. .Reply603Show comment linksSComment by splendidfella at 06:28 9 Sepsplendidfella06:28 9 Septo gazza"we are ranked eighth in the world. . nothing more has to be said. . results speak for themselves. ."And the West Indies are nipping on their heels in 9th place.Reply101Show comment linksMore replies (5)NComment by norbitt at 04:05 9 Sepnorbitt04:05 9 SepIn cricket , positive play is not always correct . You ned to play with your brains !!!Respect the opposition and pitch conditions !!Last test 70 to win 7 wickets left , we lose because of no respect for the game !!In Australia they will produce difficult batting pitches that need to show respect and to wear down bowling attacks !!Hope I’m wrong but Australia will respect the game more and winReply6111Show comment linksGComment by GK68 at 08:30 9 SepGK6808:30 9 Septo norbitt"In cricket , positive play is not always correct . You ned to play with your brains !!! Respect the opposition and pitch conditions !! Last test 70 to win 7 wickets left , we lose because of no respect for the game !! In Australia they will produce difficult batting pitches that need to show respect and to wear down bowling attacks !! Hope I’m wrong but Australia will respect the game more and win""No respect for the game" is just a meaningless slogan that people throw around when they can't handle England losing a Test match and want to whine about something. Yeah, let's bat at 1.5 runs an over and then get out anyway to a jaffa from Siraj. Great plan. Worked so well in the 1990s. How do you think England got so close to what would have been a record run chase in the first place?Reply2115Show comment linksMore replies (3)TComment by Trentatre at 00:12 9 SepTrentatre00:12 9 SepThey're still saying stupid things, which doesn't help perceptions. Harry Brook becoming the new Ben Duckett.Reply548Show comment linksPComment by Peter at 07:49 9 SepPeter07:49 9 Septo Trentatre"They're still saying stupid things, which doesn't help perceptions. Harry Brook becoming the new Ben Duckett."They tell themselves they are a good team, that they can beat anyone etc etc. it’s obviously not true but it gives them confidence and helps them play better. It’s just basic sports psychology and as long as they still practice as hard and try and get better it doesn’t matter how delusional they are.Reply1011Show comment linksMore replies (1)IComment by IronConsul at 01:03 9 SepIronConsul01:03 9 SepThe issue isn't the direction of travel, it's the avoidable errors in both individual performances and selection. McCullum's teams can be great to watch and can go toe to toe with some really good teams in a way they never used to. But they're also masters at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and it's asking for a crushing by the Aussies.Reply499Show comment linksHComment by hackoflondon at 07:39 9 Sephackoflondon07:39 9 Septo IronConsul"The issue isn't the direction of travel, it's the avoidable errors in both individual performances and selection. McCullum's teams can be great to watch and can go toe to toe with some really good teams in a way they never used to. But they're also masters at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and it's asking for a crushing by the Aussies."Give examples.Reply224Show comment linksMore replies (3)LComment by Lion at 00:52 9 SepLion00:52 9 SepThe Mccullum/Stokes era has been a refreshing change from Roots final 18 months in charge, exhilarating even. Keep going lads!Reply459Show comment linksMComment by Markthehorn at 01:19 9 SepMarkthehorn01:19 9 Septo Lion"The Mccullum/Stokes era has been a refreshing change from Roots final 18 months in charge, exhilarating even. Keep going lads!"And Joe Root himself has got even better under the duo .Reply463Show comment linksMore replies (7)EComment by Eavesey at 04:41 9 SepEavesey04:41 9 SepWhat ever moniker you put on his tactics or what peoples opinion of the philosophy isn’t really the issue. Professional sports are about results and performance. If you lose matches with poor displays you will receive criticism. If you don’t like it you’re in the wrong job.Reply352Show comment linksAComment by Andy Pandy at 17:34 9 SepAndy Pandy17:34 9 Septo Eavesey"What ever moniker you put on his tactics or what peoples opinion of the philosophy isn’t really the issue. Professional sports are about results and performance. If you lose matches with poor displays you will receive criticism. If you don’t like it you’re in the wrong job."When they win, it's often epic. When they lose, the post match comments are just as embarrassing as the nature of the loss. I have many amazing memories of the last 4 years of English test matches, but now I think I'd just prefer they weren't 8th in the test rankings.Reply01Show comment linksMore replies (1)KComment by Karl E at 01:27 9 SepKarl E01:27 9 SepLoved it initially when Baz took over but they’ve lost their way. Forcibly retiring Jimmy, dropping Leach too soon for a spinner who can’t take his place for their county, endless chances for Crawley, the list goes on.Reply4815Show comment linksRemoved CommentDComment by Doyen of discussion at 00:33 9 SepDoyen of discussion00:33 9 SepWhat's disrespectful Baz, is players' not caring. Brook : "if you get caught somewhere on the boundary, then who cares?". Vaughan : I felt that they disrespected Test cricket by being over-aggressive with both the bat and in their field placings". Baz : We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn’t for us, the Australians wouldn’t have even had a chance to win".Reply349Show comment linksMComment by mrnoneofyourbusiness at 01:29 9 Sepmrnoneofyourbusiness01:29 9 Septo Doyen of discussion"What's disrespectful Baz, is players' not caring. Brook : "if you get caught somewhere on the boundary, then who cares?". Vaughan : I felt that they disrespected Test cricket by being over-aggressive with both the bat and in their field placings". Baz : We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn’t for us, the Australians wouldn’t have even had a chance to win"."Surely you don't seriously think some England players don't care? I think you'll find Brook's comment was tongue in cheek.Reply1328Show comment linksMore replies (6)EComment by everyman at 02:18 9 Sepeveryman02:18 9 SepAnother poor use of the word 'disrespectful'.Reply241Show comment linksHComment by Haughtonomous at 09:11 9 SepHaughtonomous09:11 9 Septo everyman"Another poor use of the word 'disrespectful'."Is 'disrespectful' even a word?Reply26Show comment linksMore replies (1)JComment by jv at 07:05 9 Sepjv07:05 9 SepIt’s not disrespectful when the line between bazball and brainless gets blurredReply236Show comment linksGComment by Gedders at 06:44 9 SepGedders06:44 9 SepI'II be honest - I'm not a disciple of Bazbal at alll. It's always laudable to be positive in everything you do. And it can be entertaining. But I look at the England teams in all forms of the game and I don't see the techniques and resilience needed to perform and be successful consistently at the highest international level. I'm just not into the 'some you win, some you lose attitude'..Reply217Show comment linksMComment by Markthehorn at 00:37 9 SepMarkthehorn00:37 9 SepIt’s exciting attacking cricket but you have to win all the time .Because people love nothing more than getting the knives out if you don’t.In any sport for any team.Reply163Show comment linksMore commentsBack to toploading comments module
