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Just read a great quote...
It turns out everyone has been playing test match cricket wrong for the last 150 years...who knew!
Amazing stuff really.
Stokes did a Sky interview around the time he was appointed. Ward, I think, made what sounded like a reasonable point in suggesting that after one win in seventeen, making the team harder to beat could be a priority. Stokes had a bit of a laugh and replied something like " What , trying to draw games? Nah mate, that won't be happening with my team"
Interview went on canny. But that was super big talk at the time, and he is backing it up, and the team are baking him up. They would clearly do anything for him, and he wouldn't ask anyone to do something he wouldn't do himself , most of the reason he is ultra attacking when batting, something I think he will recalibrate a little ( only a little!) when he's sure the message has got home
Great to see. People will queue to see this team play, and other teams will follow this lead. There have been other excellent attacking test teams before, but this bristling, constant, belligerent intent is new. And it has done for two very good sides who just couldn't handle the intensity.
Well done lads. A real quick bowler short of a very serious test team. Who would want to bowl at that lot?
Its been a big change - I'm still waiting to see how this new attacking mindset goes when they go abroad - its one thing to do it at home in your own conditions - another entirely in say Australia - i think as youve said we will recalibrate a bit.
Long may it continue though - the change in someone like Bairstow has been impressive. Also big shout to Joe Root who has been imperious so far this summer. He looks like a massive weight has been lifted and he can now concentrate on having a go at beating Sachins run record - he'll definately beat Cooks record to become Englands all time test run scorer.
Its been a big change - I'm still waiting to see how this new attacking mindset goes when they go abroad - its one thing to do it at home in your own conditions - another entirely in say Australia - i think as youve said we will recalibrate a bit.
Long may it continue though - the change in someone like Bairstow has been impressive. Also big shout to Joe Root who has been imperious so far this summer. He looks like a massive weight has been lifted and he can now concentrate on having a go at beating Sachins run record - he'll definately beat Cooks record to become Englands all time test run scorer.
Plus the bowling standards that have been set by two world greats. Anderson and BroadYep. Mind, Joe has been scoring very heavily for a year and a half now. He's mind boggling, constantly looking to learn and improve. England very lucky to have him, Bairstow and Stokes in the team together.
Surely he's Assistant Coach nowI see that Paul Collinwood is still only the 'Interim Head Coach'.
Wonder what more he needs to do in order to get the job?
If anybody cares to go back to near the beginning of this thread you will see that I wisely commented that Bairstow was perhaps lucky to retain his place and that Harry Brook should be given a go instead. At that point nobody had heard of BazBall which obviously plays to Bairstow's natural strengths and we've all seen the results.
Having established my credentials as a hopeless selector I hesitate to opine that a shackles off Jos Buttler behind the stumps coming in at 7 and Mo Ali (who has said that he may be tempted out of retirement) coming in at 8 in place of Leach would at the very least be fun to watch and must be in the minds of McCullum and Co