With the Ashes fast approaching, England’s gone from blazing away with Bazball to something a little more subtle, according to the Aussie paceman
Mitchell Starc has identified one key change in England’s Bazball approach during their most recent Test series against India.
“They’ve just tried to just pivot a little bit and actually try to win games,” Starc told AAP in September.
“We’ve probably seen a change in their approach to be a bit more successful, not just blaze away.
“I think it’s just moved a little from when they first came in and it was just score at seven an over.”
Three and a half years into Brendon McCullum’s tenure as coach, England remain world cricket’s most intriguing team.
And while England believe just the slightest mention of the term Bazball irks Australia, it has added extra spice to this summer’s Ashes.
Winless in their last three series and 15 Tests in Australia, England have arrived for the series opener beginning in Perth on Friday full of belief they can put the heat back on Australia.
Borne out of their horror 2021-22 tour, the implementation of Bazball made the 2023 Ashes the most fascinating series since 2005.
But Starc’s assessment England have changed in the two years since is accurate.
England remain the fastest scoring team in the world, but their run rate has dropped by 10 per cent in the past two years as compared to the lead-up to the 2023 Ashes.
When they began that home series, three members of England’s top seven were going at close to a run a ball under McCullum.
In the time since, every single one of England’s batters has had their strike-rate drop.
“You are always trying to evolve as a team, and certain things have helped us along the way,” England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick said.
“You just try and adapt and be better, read situations and pick the right moment when we can attack.
“But as a mantra you are always trying to stay positive and put oppositions under pressure.”
How deliberate the changes have been, and how much is a result of the opposition responding, is open for debate.
The jury is to some extent still out on Bazball 2.0.
Zak Crawley is the only recognised English batter averaging higher since the 2023 Ashes than he was in the 12 months leading into it.
Everyone else’s averages have dropped comparatively, while England have won 12 Tests and lost 10 since August 2023 after starting 12-2 under McCullum.
There are also still some chinks in the armour.
In England’s most recent Test against India in August, Harry Brook threw his wicket away in the fourth innings when he charged Akash Deep and was caught at mid-off.
Brook was on 111 at the time with England cruising at 3-301 chasing 374. The hosts were ultimately all out for 367 and India drew the series 2-2.
Australia will back themselves to be well prepared while believing bouncier wickets that still offer plenty of seam movement could prove England’s achilles heal.
All the while knowing this is a slightly different England team to the one they drew 2-2 with in 2023.
“When the Ben-Stokes-Brendan-McCullum era of English cricket began they started really aggressive but they have tapered off now,” Marnus Labuschagne said.
“Root is batting normally. He is batting like Joe Root.
“The others they have picked already played that aggressive style anyway … like Brook, Duckett, Crawley.
“That is just their natural games.
“England have literally said, ‘we want to play this way and we are going to make sure our selections meet that criteria with our batters’.”
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT
Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT
Australia squad: (First Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood
