England’s “Bazball” approach to cricket has changed the game despite scepticism from rivals such as Australia, says Pakistan head coach Shan Masood ahead of the teams’ Test series this week.
Head coach Brendon McCullum’s aggressive tactics helped England whitewash Pakistan 3-0 on their last visit in 2022 and have provoked a wider debate about the game.
Ashes enemies Australia have laughed off claims that Bazball has been revolutionary but run rates are up in Test cricket this year and Masood is an admirer.
“It has had an effect on the world. The best thing England has done is realise there are other perspectives and things that might suit you,” he said.
“Sometimes we get too caught up in set ways of doing things. The key is to find new ways of doing things. That is how the world has always progressed and cricket is no different. It is like life: you try to evolve and create new ways and England have been pioneers in that.”
England are fancied to record another win over a Pakistan side reeling from five successive defeats but McCullum played down expectations for the series, which starts on Monday.
“What we achieved a couple of years ago was immense and we’re very proud of that achievement but if we look at the history of touring teams here in Pakistan, it is probably an outlier rather than anything else,” he said.
“We’re very realistic as we come to the series that we’re going to have to play well against a very proud sporting nation. Pakistan in their own conditions, as history would suggest, is a bloody tough ask. They’re going to be fiercely competitive. It’s not going to be easy.”
England will be without captain and Bazball devotee Ben Stokes for at least the first Test and must also contend with the heat in Pakistan, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C and feel more like 40C in Multan.
“It’s rocking hot,” said McCullum. “I think it was about 20 degrees last time we came here. The overhead conditions are a little bit more extreme, so that’s going to present its own challenges.
“The first couple of days we got here, when we were out on the golf course it was very hot, very challenging to hold on to your club so that was one of our biggest concerns. But since then we seem to have got used to it.
“The guys now are passing comment that it feels a lot cooler and they’re not sweating as much. We’re trying to do all the right things in terms of keeping guys’ core temperatures down and ready to get out there and we’re confident we’ll get that under control.”