Does ‘Bazball’ have the staying power to alter Test cricket’s groove?

The brand of fearless, attacking cricket championed by England Test coach Brendon McCullum has made the world sit up and take notice. Can it be sustained and will others follow suit?

“Is he for real?”

That, said Matt Prior, was how his teammates reacted when new coach Andy Flower told them that he wanted them to become the first England Test side to be ranked World No. 1, within two years. It was not long after Ian Botham had advised England’s think-tank to head to the Kingston harbour and sink into the deepest channel. The team had been shot out for 51 by the West Indies during the course of a series defeat and was scraping the bottom.

England, at the time, was ranked in the lower half of the ICC Test table. Little wonder the players reacted the way they did when the coach spelt out his goal.

“Is he for real?”

Thirteen years later, England cricketers — and their fans — may be pondering the same question, this time about new Test coach Brendon McCullum. He has been in charge for only four Tests so far, but England has won all of them. 

It is the style of those victories that has made the Kiwi the toast of English cricket.

England won chasing in all four Tests (against the reigning world Test champion and then the runner-up). The four chases were among the 13 highest in England’s 145-year history. The highest came against India at Edgbaston last month.