In this blog post we look at the new 'Bazball' phenomenon in cricket and how this creative approach has revolutionised the English team.

Bazball has reinvigorated English cricket with creativity and captured the imagination of the fans, which was on full display at the 2023 Ashes. The final test of the Ashes series ended in another England win over their old rivals Australia, and tie the series. Only bad weather in Manchester denied the revived England team yet another series win.

Bazball is the new, exciting cricket strategy on the pitch – an approach favouring aggression and fearlessness – and a great example of transformational creativity. Margaret Boden, Research Professor of Cognitive Science and creative theory pioneer, defines this type of creativity as: “a transformation of the search space so new kinds of ideas can be generated.” 

Coach Brendon McCullum promised just that when he joined the England team in 2022, wanting to strip away the timid English approach to cricket and describing the team as “guys who are maybe just a little bit stuck by the fear of failure rather than the possibility of success.” He also added: “It's just allowing the guys to be able to make good decisions because they're in a clear frame of mind and a positive environment.” The focus on psychological safety and a positive mindset paved the way for the English team to try a riskier form of play with more confidence. 

While critics may claim that Bazball is too risky, its supporters would argue that it's just what the game needs. Pioneered by the English cricket team under coach Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum, the "Bazball" technique involves a more aggressive and positive approach to the game, including taking more risks; being more adventurous with shots and tactics; and focusing on scoring runs quickly. It's been described as "unorthodox", "high-risk" and "entertaining" by many in the cricket world. 

Before adopting the Bazball approach, England's team had a reputation for being more conservative and risk-averse. They often played slowly and cautiously, focusing on playing long innings and grinding out results, leading to notable failures. In the 2021-22 Ashes series against Australia, England lost 4-0. In fact, England had lost six consecutive test matches in Australia, dating back to 2013. It was clear that something needed to change for England to start winning matches again.  

Bazball was an innovative way to shake up the team's approach, for example using more combative tactics like setting aggressive field positions, using spin bowling more, and generally trying to put more pressure on the opposition batsmen. It's all about being positive, rather than defensive, and scoring runs quickly. 

England cricket team captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. Photo: Getty

Coach McCullum transformed the search space of the England cricket team by encouraging them to focus on being bold in their tactics, rather than allowing their fear of failure to take over. This allowed for different ideas and more innovative strategies, and for the fans to be bowled over by a more entertaining and creative form of play. 

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