““It works for them because their management is fully in with this style of play”, Ashwin on adapting Bazball Style in India.
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his opinion that “Bazball,” the ultra-aggressive batting approach adopted by the England cricket team, would not work in Indian cricket due to the country’s distinct culture.
Ashwin humorously suggested that at least four players would be dropped if India attempted Bazball and failed.The Bazball approach, inspired by coach Brendon McCullum, has been a significant topic of discussion in cricket circles, including during the Ashes 2023, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
While India has shown glimpses of unconventionally aggressive batting during the Test series in West Indies, Ashwin, in a YouTube video, elaborated on why he believes this brand of cricket wouldn’t be successful for India.
Ashwin said “Let us assume India is playing Bazball during their transition phase. Let us assume a player throws his bat at everything like Harry Brook, gets out and we lose two Test matches. What will we do?
“Will we back Bazball and the players? We will drop at least four players from our playing XI. That’s how our culture has always been. So, we can’t copy others’ style of play just because it worked for them.”
He further explained that England’s cricketers can play Bazball freely because they enjoy full support from the team management, selectors, and fans, making it a more suitable fit for their cricketing culture.
Ashwin also emphasized “It works for them because their management is fully in with this style of play. The selectors back the players to play this way. In fact, even their crowd and the Test match-watching public are backing the team in this process. We can’t do that,” the seasoned spinner added