2022-2025: RIP BazBall, it was fun while it lasted

Aakash Saini

England team at the Gabba in Brisbane [Source: AFP Photos]England team at the Gabba in Brisbane [Source: AFP Photos]

2022–2025: the rise, the rebellion, and now the requiem. The so-called England’s no-holds-barred approach in Test cricket, often glorified as ‘BazBall’, first jolted in Rawalpindi in October 2024 and now cremated at the Gabba in Brisbane during the 2025-26 Ashes in December 2025, readies itself for a return flight to England, and likely without an urn.

What began as an audacious recalibration of Test batting, heralded under the leadership of new captain Ben Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum in mid-2022, soon turned into a movement across England’s entire cricketing structure, prompting even several County hopefuls to adopt the approach.

Here, we take a look back at the highs and lows of England’s ‘BazBall’, and how this fearsome undertaking eventually met its demise over the course of several overseas Test series.

The Glittering high: When BazBall was untouchable

First employed in June 2022 after the appointment of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as England’s new Test captain and coach, and soon officially christened ‘BazBall’ by the cricketing press, the approach initially felt unstoppable.

The Englishmen started their no-fear revolution with four audacious run-chases at breakneck pace, including three successive 250-plus chases against New Zealand at home in a 3-0 win, and a record 378-run pull against India; thus, forming a stretch that convinced the cricketing world that caution, at least briefly, no longer had a seat in England’s Test vocabulary.

England also pummeled South Africa 2-1 at home later that summer, and crushed Pakistan away from home a few months down the line. In the series-opener of that Pakistan tour itself back in December 2022, England aggregated 657 in just 101 overs, including 506-4 in a 75-over opening day. England made another 264-7d in their second innings at a run-rate of nearly 7.50 as Ben Stokes and co. won a high-scoring Test by 74 runs, before clinching the series 3-0.

England’s Test record: June 2022 to June 2023

Matches
Won
Lost
Draws
131120

A thrilling drawn series in New Zealand in early 2023, and an emphatic routing of Ireland in June later that year only strengthened the belief that BazBall’s tempo was no passing phase.

The Unraveling: When tempo got obliterated

The first real cracks appeared during the 2023 home Ashes, when Australia’s tried-and-tested disciplined approach began to chip away at BazBall’s bravado. Initially hailed as overwhelming favourites to clinch the urn, England soon found itself behind the 8-ball by going 0-2 down in the series, a slide compounded by several tactical blunders, including the opening-day declaration at Birmingham.

Ben Stokes and co. somehow conjured a fighting win in the decider to celebrate Stuart Broad’s farewell Test with a drawn series. But if the 2023 home Ashes was a warning that their no-holds-barred aura could crack, England’s tour of India in early 2024 confirmed that it could crumble outright. Facing a strong Indian team in a five-match series, England lost 1-4 despite clinching the tour opener in Hyderabad with a 28-run margin.

England did regain some momentum in their home summer a couple of months later, securing comprehensive 3-0 and 2-1 series wins over a weakened West Indies and Sri Lanka teams respectively. But their high-flying newfound run was once again hampered, this time in Pakistan by a rejuvenated spin attack of the hosts, primarily by Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.

Twin series defeats in India and Pakistan within the space of seven months soon served as a stern reminder to the Englishmen, indicating that maybe their ‘BazBall’ bluster still needed some air before succeeding in away conditions.

That myth was momentarily put on hold as Ben Stokes courageously led his troops to a 2-1 win in New Zealand, with the Englishmen taking that momentum and plummeting Zimbabwe in a four-day Test at home in mid-2025.

But facing an inexperienced Indian line-up between June and July, one reshaped by sudden retirements and led by a still-unproven captain in Shubman Gill, England once again came up short, forced to settle for a 2-2 draw on home soil.

The final nail in the ‘BazBall’ coffin arrived during the 2025–26 Ashes tour of Australia, where England’s once-unapologetic tempo was reduced to survival, submission and startled restraint. Facing an Australian team that lacked regular captain Pat Cummins and fellow legendary paceman Josh Hazlewood, England suffered two successive hammerings, one each at Perth and Brisbane to fall 0-2 behind in the five-match series.

England’s Test record: Ashes June 2023 to Gabba Test December 2025

Matches
Won
Lost
Draws
3014142

Moreover, the Englishmen were even forced to withdraw from their own attacking instincts, abandoning ‘BazBall’ altogether in favour of mere preservation on Day 4 of the pink-ball affair at the Gabba. Up against a deficit of 177 and being reduced to 134-6 by stumps on Day 3, captain courageous Ben Stokes washed up over 150 deliveries to score his 50, while Will Jacks took 92 balls to get to his 41 as the two belligerent ball-strikers faced nearly 38 overs to craft just 96 for the seventh wicket.

As one can expect, England’s sudden shift in gears did not work, and it merely prompted experts and fans alike to wonder if the once-swaggering doctrine was not only stalled, but had dented its own conviction beyond repair.

The ‘BazBall’ may live on in highlight reels and memories, but for now, it lies silent. As the situation stands, England must sit with this silence and decide if their attacking approach remains a belief or just a brief, blazing three-year detour in Test cricket history.