Steve Smith Impressed by England’s Decision to Ditch Bazball at Times to Win a Test Match: “Ashes is Going to be a Good Challenge”

Following Steve Smith's exciting warning for England, the onus now falls upon the Three Lions to secure their first Ashes victory since 2015.

Steve Smith Impressed by England’s Decision to Ditch Bazball at Times to Win a Test Match: “Ashes is Going to be a Good Challenge”

Steve Smith commended England's decision to tweak their 'Bazball' style of playing Test cricket, in the ongoing series vs. India. (via Cricket World)

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Australian cricket star Steve Smith commended England’s red-ball team for moving away from their ‘Bazball’ playing approach in favor of winning matches and achieving favorable results. Smith’s praise for the English side comes amid their ongoing Test series against India.

The Three Lions find themselves in a much comfortable position against India, already holding a 2-1 lead over the visitors. They secured a six-wicket victory in the series opener at Headingley, but suffered a humiliating 336-run defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston. However, the Ben Stokes-led side staged a strong comeback in the third Test at Lord’s, winning the match by a margin of just 22 runs.

England’s victory at Lord’s was particularly impressive because they significantly altered their approach to winning a Test match, departing from the widely popular ‘Bazball’ style of play. Rather than adopting an all-out attacking strategy in the challenging batting conditions at Lord’s, they scored around three runs per over in both innings, a notable contrast to the previous two Tests, where they consistently scored at least four to five runs an over. 

The unique ‘Bazball’ Test-playing approach, that emerged in 2022 under head coach Brendon McCullum, has transformed the English side into a free-flowing and aggressive unit. While this philosophy has undeniably helped improve the Three Lions’ Test fortunes at home, especially in the WTC era, critics have consistently questioned its long-term viability and its potential for success in overseas conditions.

However, England’s recent decision to significantly tweak the ‘Bazball’ approach, moving towards a more well-rounded brand of cricket, has generated a lot of excitement. Australian cricketer Steve Smith, fresh off his side’s recent white-wash victory over the West Indies, suggested that the Three Lions, in their ongoing series against India, have prioritized winning over simply entertaining the crowd, a shift that has yielded favorable results for them. He said on BBC’s Test Match Special:

They [England] have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be.

Sensing the heightened competition Australia would face in the 2025-26 Ashes later this year, Smith noted that the England team has clearly altered its approach, moving away from what McCullum and Co. had previously stated about making Test cricket ‘interesting.’

He further added that the upcoming Ashes would be even better, while also hinting that the English batters might face challenges in Australia due to the pitches being considerably less flat than those found in England.

They [England] are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously…It is going to be a good challenge for them.

Furthermore, Smith added that with the ball movement on Australian pitches, England’s weaknesses would be exposed, issuing a warning to their rivals. It remains to be seen what unfolds for the two sides when they face each other in the Ashes opener in Perth this November.

Steve Smith Set for The Hundred Debut with Welsh Fire, With Action Set to Begin Next Month

Australian cricketing great and Test batting legend Steve Smith is set to make his Hundred debut, for Welsh Fire. The 36-year-old top-order batter was secured by the Cardiff-based franchise as a direct signing during the draft earlier this year, for a massive contract worth £200,000.

Steve Smith The Hundred
Steve Smith is set to make his Hundred debut for Welsh Fire, next month. (via Sky Sports)

Smith is set to take the pitch on August 7, when Welsh Fire face Northern Superchargers. The Australian star had signed to play for the Cardiff side in the inaugural 2020 edition of The Hundred, until the season was postponed due to COVID-19. The 36-year-old recently shared his focus on playing more franchise cricket to regain his place in Australia’s T20I side and remain in contention for the 2028 Olympics.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith is not the only Australian player to have been drafted by Welsh Fire, with Riley Meredith and Chris Green being the other two. They will be joining a team led by Tom Abell, which also features players like Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.