Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist has firmly responded to England opener Zak Crawley's comments regarding Bazball, the aggressive style of play promoted by England's coach Brendon McCullum. Gilchrist stated, "We were doing it 20 years before them," illustrating that Australia has a long-standing tradition of playing cricket with aggression.
Crawley, reflecting on the recently concluded 2023 Ashes series, suggested that England's style had gotten under the skin of the Australian players. He remarked, "Bazball really winds them up, doesn’t it?" This statement followed a series that ended in a 2-2 draw, indicating the psychological games being played alongside the cricketing rivalry.
| England’s Record Under Bazball | Matches Played | Wins | Losses |
|---|
| Bazball Era | 41 | 25 | 14 |
Gilchrist's impressive cricketing career, comprising of 5,570 runs in 96 Tests at a strike rate of 82, set the benchmark for aggressive gameplay in the 2000s, well ahead of the current Bazball trend. He emphasized that while Bazball may be exciting, Australia has a history of playing compelling cricket long before it was coined as such.
In contrast, England has faced difficulty in their performance down under, especially since their 3-1 victory in the Ashes 2010/11. They suffered a whitewash in 2013/14 and a subsequent loss of 4-0 in the following series. Nevertheless, optimism remains for the upcoming 2025/26 Ashes series.
In an additional commentary, former England bowler Stuart Broad described the current Australian team as potentially their weakest since that last victory in 2010. He stated, "It's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won," indicating that this Ashes series could be an exciting encounter given these dynamics.