England suffered a humbling defeat for the first time under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, swatted aside by 434 runs by India in Rajkot.
After falling 2-1 down in the five-Test series, there have been suggestions far and wide that England’s approach, dubbed ‘Bazball’ in a nod to McCullum’s nickname, needs to be refined.
Here, the PA news agency looks at whether England need to overhaul their philosophy.
What is Bazball?
The first thing to know is McCullum himself dislikes the word, which he feels oversimplifies what he and the rest of the backroom team are trying to do. Most cricket fans associate the term with an attacking style, especially when batting. But England and McCullum stress what they are trying to do is instil positivity and confidence into their players, taking the fear of doubt and failure away so they can achieve their maximum potential. The results have yielded 14 wins from 21 Tests after just a single victory in 17 previous attempts, while near enough every match has been a blockbuster occasion.
What’s the problem?
They are perhaps a little too impulsive and occasionally guilty of overlooking the match situation. In response to 445, England were on 224 for two inside 40 overs with Ben Duckett shellacking a depleted India attack – Ravichandran Ashwin briefly left the Test to tend to a family matter – to all parts. But the out-of-touch Joe Root took what seemed an unnecessary gamble in the first few minutes of day three with a reverse ramp, England collapsed to 319 all out and India never looked back. There was a near-identical missed chance against Australia at Lord’s last year which helped Pat Cummins’ side retain the Ashes. It appears England are not learning from their mistakes and harsh lessons have followed.
What has been the reaction?
England have come in for widespread criticism on social media. Ashes 2005-winning captain Michael Vaughan wrote on X that this latest setback should act as a “wake-up call”. Nasser Hussain, another former England skipper, said in the Daily Mail that “tweaks” to their philosophy should be considered, adding: “Bazball is not attack, attack, attack. Occasionally, you must absorb pressure.”
Will England pay any heed?
There is no need to chuck the baby out with the bathwater. It is worth remembering that India have not lost a Test series at home since 2012. The sides led by Sir Alastair Cook in 2016 and Joe Root in 2021 when arriving with more orthodox impulses had forgettable tours; indeed, England have arguably done better than the last two visits already. It was barely three weeks ago that England engineered one of the finest wins in their history in Hyderabad and it appears England fans may have to get used to taking the rough with the smooth. McCullum gave the strongest indication there would be no change of tack, saying: “The positivity and confidence within the environment needs to remain.”
So, more of the same, then?
On the surface, England present a bullish outlook with little regard for outside noise. It is telling that whoever speaks after play is adamant that England are happy to chase down any score in the fourth innings – they have been successful in eight of a dozen attempts. But all may not be as it seems, for after the Lord’s debacle last year, England knuckled down, struck the right balance and were the better team for the last three Tests. Conditions may be completely different now as was then but there is reason for hope as the sides head for Ranchi and the penultimate Test, starting on Friday.
Russell defends CPL's contribution to regional cricket but open to suggestions on improvements
With their long-term agreement with Cricket West Indies (CWI) heavily scrutinised by government leaders and cricket stalwarts, chief executive, Pete Russell of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) defended the product’s positive contribution to cricket in the region.
Addressing the gathering on Friday’s final day of the CARICOM conference on West Indies cricket themed ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket’, Russell said the CPL is one of CWI’s largest domestic commercial partners.
While noting that CPL contributed significantly to player economic welfare, with nearly US$28 million spent on salaries since the start of the tournament in 2013, Russell, also revealed that cumulative losses, across both the league and franchises for the past 11 years, stand at US$40 million.
“Dennis O’Brien and Digicel have been the principal investors, not only investing in the league from day one but they also spent money on sponsorship and media rights. The franchises have also pumped in significant money, money that helps pay players and coaches, as well as investing in local businesses around the region that help make the games happen. All the franchises have made losses.
“So, on the positive side, Cricket West Indies has been paid close to US$17 million in sanction fees, so over the past 12 years CPL would be one of CWI’s largest domestic, commercial partners. Caribbean players have taken home US$27.7 million in player salaries since the tournament’s inception, all paid for by the franchises,” Russell declared during the event held in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Each year, it takes US$25 million to run this tournament over five weeks. CPL and the franchises bear all these costs. There is no financial burden on CWI or the territorial boards, so the risk is 100 per cent ours.
“So that is our starting point each and every year. So as you can imagine, the commercial challenges are considerable just to break even,” he added.
Russell’s response came as government leaders and West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd, suggested that the 50-year contract between CPL and CWI be re-negotiated.
The issue of the league’s ownership was also called into question, as they view was largely expressed that there would potentially be more development and earnings for players, if CWI controlled the tournament.
But, Russell, a member of the CPL management team rebutted.
“What is interesting is that other leagues around the world are following the lead of CWI. They are also looking for third-party investors to help fund their leagues. The English Cricket Board are in the process of selling The Hundred, the Australian Cricket Board are courting outside investors for the Big Bash, Cricket South Africa sold all their rights to host broadcaster Supersport, and the new American Major League Cricket is 100 per cent privately owned,” Russell shared.
“In time, only the IPL will end up being 100 per cent owned by its domestic board and that is simply because they can afford to do so. So, trust me when I say, ownership isn’t everything, and smart stewardship and partnership can yield better results. But of course, we’re always happy to listen to any suggestions on how we can improve things,” he ended.
IPL: Royals extend lead at the top after Samson and Jurel see off LSG
Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel combined for an unbeaten partnership of 121 as Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
The Royals have now won eight of their nine matches in the 2024 campaign and are almost certain to be involved in the playoffs after chasing down their victory target of 197 with an over to spare in a seven-wicket triumph.
Another Royals win had looked unlikely when they fell to 78-3 in their run chase after Jos Buttler (34), Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) and Riyan Parag (14) all fell in quick succession shortly before the halfway mark.
But Rajasthan captain Samson fought back as he blasted 71 runs from 33 balls including seven fours and four maximums, while Jurel bounced back from a poor period of form to finish unbeaten on 52 from 34.
LSG reached 196-5 from their innings courtesy of a fine knock from their own skipper, KL Rahul. He reached 76 from 48 before eventually falling to Avesh Khan (1-42) in the 18th over.
Deepak Hooda made it to 50 as LSG rallied from 11-2, but ultimately their competitive total was within reach of the visiting Royals.
Data Debrief
This is the second time in as many home games Rahul has passed fifty, after he scored 82 against Chennai Super Kings last week.
Samson (385) and Rahul (378) are second and third respectively in the race to win this season’s orange cap, although RCB’s Virat Kohli continues to set the pace with 430 runs.
They also narrowly trail Kohli (40) when it comes to the most fours hit in this season’s competition, with Samson on 36 and Rahul just behind with 34.
Babar's captain's innings leads Pakistan to victory as series drawn with New Zealand
Babar Azam top scored as he led his Pakistan team to a nine-run victory over New Zealand in Lahore that saw the five-game T20I series end in a draw.
Babar hit 69 runs off 44 balls before being bowled by Ben Sears, smashing six fours and two sixes to take his team to 123/3 at the time of his dismissal.
Fakhar Zaman (43 from 33) and Usman Khan (31 off 24) also chipped in with important innings as Pakistan ended on 178/5.
With a target of 179 to secure a 3-1 series victory, New Zealand's run chase faltered almost immediately as opener Tom Blundell was removed within the first over with his team having managed just five runs on the board.
Blundell's fellow opener Tim Seifert steadied the ship with a vital 52-run innings off 33 deliveries before being bowled by Usama Mir, but Shaheen Shah Afridi led the way for Pakistan, finishing with figures of 4-30 to stem the New Zealand run chase
Josh Clarkson's 38 off 26 set up a nervy conclusion, but Pakistan held on to avoid defeat in the T20 series as the teams share the spoils at two wins apiece after the first game was abandoned.
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