'Then You Are An Idiot': Sir Geoffrey Boycott Disagrees With Bazball In Test Cricket

Former England player Sir Geoffrey Boycott rubbished the concept of Bazball serving as the new technique of adapting in Test cricket. 

There has been a lot of talk about the attacking mindset in Test cricket since Brendon McCullum took over the charge of England’s Test side this summer. England have won all four Test matches – three against New Zealand followed by the epic game against India in Birmingham last month – chasing targets of over 270 in each game.

In a very brief period, McCullum’s theory is profoundly known as ‘Bazball’, which allows the batters to take the attack on the opposition from the beginning, becoming a concern for the bowlers at the same time. The Bazball has divided the cricket fraternity with differences in opinions. 

There are no top-three batsmen that know how to play the new ball: Sir Geoffrey Boycott

Boycott criticised the attacking strategy from the word go in Test cricket and questioned its longevity. 

“If you think you are going to plunder the best bowlers in the world with a new conker when they are fresh then you are an idiot,” Boycott said on aid on the Vaughany & Tuffers podcast. 

“There are no top-three batsmen that know how to play the new ball, stay in, create the platform. Part of your job is to get through the new ball for your team – protect the stroke-makers in the middle-order who can take the game away from the opposition. Part of the job is to score runs,” he added. 

There are too many ordinary bowlers: Sir Geoffrey Boycott

England heavily relies on the experience of the senior bowling pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The likes of Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton, Olly Stone, and Matthew Potts have been bowling with the pair in the recent past. England are waiting for their injured pack of Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood to return to the field. While commenting on England’s state of bowlers, Boycott said:

“There are too many ordinary bowlers. If we keep having early season matches with grass and moisture on the surface where little medium pacers bowl people out, that isn’t going to help England be successful. There are too many ordinary bowlers. A lot of the money they [the ECB] get from Sky is because of Test matches – and county cricket makes good Test players, or it should do.”

It seems like Boycott’s comments resemble England’s first session against South Africa on Day 1 of the first Test at Lord’s. The hosts were batting at 100 for five after 26 overs with the likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes back in the hut.

Also Read: It Will Be Interesting To See How This Plays Out: Glenn McGrath Comments On How To Tackle England’s Bazball Approach