Bazball won't infiltrate Aussie cricket

Australia's cricketers have been watching England's fearless approach to Test cricket but insist it will not change the way they play the game.

BRENDON MCCULLUM of the Heat bats during the Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia.
BRENDON MCCULLUM of the Heat bats during the Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

It is the English Test revolution that has captivated world cricket but do not expect the Bazball approach to be replicated by Australia any time soon.

England's thrilling 74-run win over Pakistan on a lifeless Rawalpindi pitch will go down as the best Test of 2022, with the tourists trumping their own efforts on home soil earlier this year.

Taking a no-fear approach to Test cricket, England scored at more than six-an-over in each innings and set a generous declaration target of 343 in four sessions.

The win prompted observers including Mark Waugh to claim the approach had changed the way Test cricket would be played, with England seven-from-eight under coach Brendon McCullum - known as Baz - and captain Ben Stokes.

The tourists chased down fourth-innings scores of 378, 299 and 296 across their home summer, scoring at close to or above five-an-over in each chase.

England's work has been closely watched by Australia's team, with 'Bazball' jokes made in the nets during the winter and the Rawalpindi Test drawing plenty of attention during the current series against West Indies.

But according to Nathan Lyon, the approach will not be seeping into Australia's cricket any time soon.

"I watched it, it's bloody exciting," Lyon said.

"Hats off to Baz and Stokesy going over there. I know what that Rawalpindi wicket is like.

"They found a way to win a Test over there.

"But we've all got our own ways of playing Test cricket and ours is going alright. We don't need to change ours at the moment."

Australia have also made clear they are months away from formulating plans on how to stop England's all-out approach, with a home summer and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India before then.

And it is unlikely they will be given any kind of early practice against such attacking cricket in Adelaide this week, with West Indies officials equally certain Bazball is not for them.

"You play the best side in the world. You can't go gung-ho," assistant Roddy Estwick said.

"I know everyone has seen how England are playing and thinks that's the way to go. Well that's the way they want to play, fine by that.

"But with us, we want to be as patient as possible.

"What they are doing is nothing new. It is surprising that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

"You play what you see. If you look at that pitch, it was so flat in Pakistan that you could score five runs an over without any problem.

"When it is nipping around and doing all sorts of things, then it becomes a different ball game."