NEW DELHI: Retired Test opener David Warner has cast doubt on whether England’s high-octane “Bazball” approach will hold up on Australian soil, insisting it’s a risky tactic against the conditions Down Under.
“I don’t know if ‘Bazball’ is a myth now, but I can’t see it happening in Australia,” the 38-year-old told reporters this week, as quoted by Fox Sports.
Warner, who called time on his international career last year, had a front-row seat to England’s aggressive style during the 2023 Ashes. While the approach earned praise for its entertainment value, he believes the fast-paced batting might falter on bouncier Australian pitches.
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“With the bounce and everything, the fields Australia set last time in England, it would be pretty high risk to play that in Australia,” he said.
“It’s probably not the way to go about it. If that is the way they go … it’s going to be high tempo, high energy and we’ll all get a couple of days off at the back end.”
England’s “Bazball” era, led by Test captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, has seen mixed results since kicking off three years ago. The team surged to a dominant home summer in 2022, then made headlines with a record-breaking 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan.
However, their fortunes turned in 2023. England failed to retain the Ashes on home soil and later slumped to a 4-1 series loss in India, reigniting doubts about the long-term sustainability of the “Bazball” strategy in varied conditions.
Meanwhile, Warner is gearing up for a new challenge. Earlier this week, he was picked up by the London Spirit for AU$245,000 in The Hundred Draft. He’ll reunite with former Australian coach Justin Langer as the 100-ball tournament kicks off in August.
Warner’s home ground will be Lord’s—where tensions famously boiled over during the 2023 Ashes, as he and his teammates clashed with MCC members in the Long Room. Asked about the reception he expects from Spirit fans, Warner was candid.
“We’ll just have to wait until I step foot on that park first, won’t we? Then we’ll see how the reception is,” he said.
“I’ll have to walk past the Long Room first to get to the changing room! I actually want them to come at Australians. I love that stuff, that’s what gets me going but I want them to support London Spirit.
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“If they want to boo me, boo me, but don’t boo the team. We’re not there playing for the Australian cricket team so they can cheer a little bit for myself but most importantly cheer for the team.
“I’m really looking forward to it, I know how English crowds are and it excites me.”
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