“It’s good to play without fear, but…” asks Geoffrey Boycott The ‘Bazball’ method in England

NEW DELHI: After England’s recent Test series defeat against India, cricket icon Geoffrey Boycott voiced his concerns over the country’s “Bazball” strategy.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have pushed for an audacious and aggressive batting approach, but England has failed to produce consistent wins against elite teams, losing important Test matches against Australia and India.

England’s current batting style presents significant obstacles, as seen by their current eighth-place finish in the World Test Championship 2023–25 cycle rankings, having won only three of their last nine matches.
Boycott said that while ‘Bazball’ has improved Test cricket, England’s failure to win against elite nations remains a major source of worry.
Boycott wrote a letter for The Telegraph in which he commended England for bringing excitement to Test cricket, but bemoaned their inability to seize chances when facing strong opponents.
“They lost the series against India and the Ashes due to poor batting. There have been strange occasions in this series when someone has scored a hundred plus. However, Boycott stressed, “they have been isolated and there hasn’t been any consistency.”

While certain players showed potential, the 83-year-old cricket expert said that England’s hitters lacked consistency and found it difficult to sustain momentum throughout the series. He emphasized the difference between England’s and India’s batting averages in particular, highlighting how crucial consistency is in Test cricket.
Boycott also attacked England’s sometimes-careless style of play, saying that while they should be commended for playing without fear, their enthusiasm to attack every delivery sometimes resulted in careless dismissals.
“It’s wonderful to play fearlessly, but sometimes England showed too much confidence and recklessness in their ability to hit everyone. Boycott said, “Getting out is part of the game, but getting yourself out is silly.”