Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes the upcoming Ashes in Australia will be a major test for England’s ‘Bazball’ style of cricket. Hussain feels this series will show whether the approach of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum can succeed in the tough conditions of Australia.
In an interview with The Athletic, Hussain said, “England say it won’t but it will. This series usually defines England captains and coaches, and this one will.” He pointed out how tough it is to play in Australia: “Australia are firm favourites. England have not won a single one of their last 15 Tests in Australia. That’s hard, cold facts. Fifteen Tests, drawn two, lost 13. It shows how hard it is to go to Australia and win.”
Hussain added that if England win, it will be their first series win in Australia since 2010–11. “If England win the Ashes (managing director) Rob Key, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will say: ‘There you are, we told you so’. But if they lose it, it will be others saying, ‘Same old story’.”
He also said England have been preparing for years for this Ashes series. “This is going to be a special series because it does feel like the culmination for this regime… the whole game plan for the last three and a half years has been about how to win in Australia. Rightly or Wrongly,” he explained.
Hussain praised the team’s fearless mindset as well. “The thing I really like about it is that they are not overly concerned about what other people think. They don’t worry about the reaction. I like that. I like the attitude of, ‘This is how we’re doing it, and we’ll live or die by it.’ I am a fan of the way England play. I can see why they hate it being called Bazballbecause that makes it sound like it’s the only way they play. It has been refined over time.”
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