“As A Bowler It Is Quite Scary”: R Ashwin On Why Players ‘Need To Be Careful’ About Bazball Brand Of Cricket

The “Bazball” has been the most recent vocabulary addition in international cricket ever since Brendon McCullum took over as England’s red ball coach. Firstly, whitewashing the Kiwis and then drawing the test series 2-2 by winning the final test against India. In both the contests, what stood out was the aggressive brand of cricket that England displayed. Against India, England registered their highest successful chase ever in Tests of 378 runs. This aggressive brand of cricket has been called ‘Bazball’. It is derived from McCullum’s nickname Baz as he too played with the same aggression during his playing days.

However, Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that players ‘need to be careful about this brand of cricket.’

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Will Bazball make ODIs just an extended form of T20s?

“It was amazing to watch, but as a bowler it is quite scary to think where the game is headed. I definitely think the ball and the pitches have a role to play in how England are playing, permitting a certain brand of cricket.”

HE SAID ON THE VAUGHANY AND TUFFERS CRICKET CLUB PODCAST.

“I think we need to be careful about this brand of cricket being the way forward. Test cricket has been the same for hundreds of years and there will be games and series that are played like that. Whether it’s the same brand of cricket you play all along is very debatable.”

Ashwin also commented on how there is no longer balance between bat and ball in the ODI format.

“The one-day format used to be a format where bowlers had a say. Even me, as a cricket badger and a cricket nut, I switch off the TV after a point. and that’s frankly very scary for the format of the game. When those ebbs and flows go missing, it’s not cricket anymore. It’s just an extended form of T20,”

SAID ASHWIN

“It’s a question of relevance and I think ODI cricket needs to find its relevance. It needs to find its spot.”

Ravichandran Ashwin will be seen in action in the limited overs format in the T20 series against West Indies next month. Ashwin has played 86 Tests, 113 ODIs and 51 T20Is for India picking 442, 151 and 61 wickets in the formats respectively.