Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum

Ever since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes came together to lead England's Test team, the 'Bazball' era has given rise to several exaggerated media statements. Here are a few of the most eye-catching ones.

McCullum: England being competitive can save Test cricket (May 2022)

The Bazball era didn't take long to rub several people the wrong way. In his first interview as England head coach, Brendon McCullum said in May 2022 that he felt making England competitive in Test cricket again would help reignite a format on the decline across the world.

While his words may have simply been a case of McCullum looking to set his sights high, the statement itself appeared overly grandiose to a few. McCullum was taking over a team that had won just one of their last 17 Tests, and simply helping England turn their form around looked an uphill enough task for him.

Robinson on McCullum: If not for us, Australia wouldn't have a chance to win (June 2023)

The England Test team next came into sharp focus during McCullum's first Ashes series in charge. The home side lost a thriller in Birmingham, as Australia chased down 281 to win on the final day. In the aftermath, much of the focus was on captain Ben Stokes' decision to declare England's first innings on day one, at 393-8 after 78 overs. Many felt the decision had denied England more than a few extra runs.

Writing in his first Wisden column, England pacer Ollie Robinson recalled how Brendon McCullum told the team in the changing room, "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."

These lines didn't sit well with fans and experts across the world, many of whom said England taking pride in giving their opponents a chance to win (which they went on to do) was not an attitude that belonged in modern cricket.

Brook: England not focused on winning as a side (July 2023)

This mentality was in the news soon after, as a potentially close day five of the fourth Ashes Test in Manchester was washed out due to rain, robbing England of the chance to register a series-levelling win. It left England 2-1 down in the series and meant Australia would retain the urn regardless of the result of the fifth Test.

Speaking afterwards about the disappointing nature of that result, England batter Harry Brook said England were "not focused on winning as a side" but rather on "making people enjoy watching and bringing Test cricket alive again". He went on to say a win in the fifth Test (which they did get) could be counted as a "moral victory" for the team, despite them being unable to reclaim the Ashes.

Brook and England were brutally mocked on social media for their attitude, with many suggesting the famed 'Bazball' style of play was nothing more than a cult, or a group of players which remained in denial about their results on the field.

Duckett claims England deserve some credit for Jaiswal's aggressive knock (February 2024)

In another blockbuster series, this time against India in 2024, England batter Ben Duckett copped severe criticism when speaking about Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive double hundred in a 434-run win in Rajkot.

Duckett said, "When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they’re playing differently than how other people play Test cricket." Words that irked many, including former England captain Nasser Hussain, in the wake of a crushing defeat.

Hussain responded strongly to Duckett, saying on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast that Jaiswal had not learnt from England, but from his own cricketing upbringing. He further urged England to take a leaf out of Jaiswal's book, saying, "If anything lads, have a look at him, and learn from him. I hope they are self-introspecting in the dressing room, no matter what they are saying in public."

Pope: Might be a day where we get 600 at some point

The Bazballers' latest ambitious statement came last week from vice-captain Ollie Pope, who said, "There might be a day where we go and get 500 or 600 at some point in the future." No team has ever scored 600 runs in a single day's play. England themselves managed 506 on one occasion, against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.

Wisden examined the feasibility of Pope's claim, and while it is not impossible for England to score 600 in a day, the feat is certainly highly improbable.

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