Tuesday 10 January 2023 4:09 pm

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum pitch Bazball to county cricket teams

Deputy Sports Editor - Morning Wire

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are said to have pitched Bazball to county cricket sides. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have given Zoom presentations to county head coaches on the subject of Bazball, according to reports.

The how-to guide was delivered by the duo from England’s footballing HQ St George’s Park on Monday and focuses on the ethos that has seen the Test side swing from consistent failure to astounding success.

Since Stokes and his head coach took the reins of the five-day team, they have won nine of their 10 Tests – including series wins against New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.

Reports suggest the term ‘Bazball’ was not used – it’s a term players have said McCullum, whom the style of play is named after, despises – but the discussions covered a shift to positive cricket and how to ride pressure.

Discussions of draws were dismissed and a focus was placed on the field’s role to solely get wickets.

There is hope within the England ranks that – despite the Zoom call not being a mandatory call to change county cricket styles – the ethos discussed will filter down through the national ranks.

In the wider meeting between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the county teams – whose season begins on 6 April – there were talks of ground staff producing harder, flatter pitches similar to those seen overseas and a desire for a couple of county fixtures to use the Kookaburra ball, which is widely used in Australia among other countries.

Furthermore, with a new structure for English domestic cricket set to be introduced in 2024, there could be changes to the T20 Vitality Blast – though reports suggest one county coach pushed back on this.