McCullum came into the role of head coach of England's Test team in 2022, along with skipper Ben Stokes. After taking over the roles, the duo revived a team that had managed to win just one out of 17 matches
Brendon McCullum (Pic: File Pic)
England head coach Brendon McCullum, who instilled the approach of "Bazball" in the team, said that the misconception about the approach is disrespectful to the players.
"We never have that kind of mindset about ourselves in the sense that, we're not rigid in how we go about things," he said 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast.
"I think there's a bit of a misconception about how we play, that we swing the bat as hard as we can, we try to take wickets and then we go for a round of golf and a few beers. I find it slightly disrespectful to all of you guys (the players) and all of the people in the set-up who work so hard and have such clear determination of wanting to succeed, to have that so simply categorised, almost," added the former New Zealand cricketer.
McCullum came into the role of head coach of England's Test team in 2022, along with skipper Ben Stokes. After taking over the roles, the duo revived a team that had managed to win just one out of 17 matches.
Since then, the English side has adopted the approach of a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket.
McCullum then explained what he and the England team think about the "Bazball" approach. He said that it is about handling the pressure of international cricket.
"For us, it's about trying to create an environment that allows you to handle the pressures of international cricket, to understand the size of that task but to not be restricted in your ability to play," said the 43-year-old former cricketer.
"You want your talent to come out, I hate seeing talent stymied, so having a certain style or belief in how we want to play gives us the best chance of success. You can't do that if you are bound by this tension and negativity," he added.
McCullum said that when he was appointed in 2022, he felt he was not suited to the white-ball role because at that time they needed someone to take them "from good to great".
"I felt like what you guys needed at that time, my skills were kind of suited to that (Test cricket), giving guys confidence and encouragement to push the boundaries of their games," the former swashbuckling batter said.
"I looked at where the white-ball side was at and I was thinking, that's not really my skill, I'm about giving a team soul and purpose and freedom, and pushing them towards bravery on the field. So I felt the Test team was more aligned to that, at the time," he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
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