Zak Crawley says England's aggressive 'Bazball' style needs 'refinement' after India humbling - 'Need to stay positive'
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Updated 29/03/2024 at 10:38 GMT
England started well in India, with a dramatic victory in the first Test in Hyderabad, but regular batting collapses throughout the series led to them suffering a 4-1 defeat. Their aggressive way of playing - which has been nicknamed 'Bazball' after head coach Brendon McCullum - has been criticised by pundits. Zak Crawley knows they need to work on adapting their style.
Zak Crawley
Image credit: Getty Images
Zak Crawley says England’s aggressive style of play needs some “refinement” following their Test series humbling in India.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s side suffered a 4-1 defeat, .
Regular batting collapses throughout the series led to questions being asked of the ultra-positive so-called ‘Bazball’ approach.
England’s second innings of the third Test was particularly alarming, with tailender Mark Wood top-scoring with 33 as they were bowled all out for just 122 runs.
Pundits including former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have been critical of the way wickets were given away in India, while trying to play aggressive, positive shots.
TNT Sports experts Steven Finn and Alastair Cook also have concerns and have called for more consistency from the team.
Despite the fearless nature of England’s play also gaining many admirers and peaking interest in the team, Crawley agrees that changes need to be made.
"It just needs a bit of refinement. We always talk about absorbing pressure and putting pressure back on,” he said.
"The last couple of years we've done the putting back on pretty well, and we've spoken about maybe picking those moments to absorb at the right times as well.
“We can certainly refine that. That's not to say we're going to get more negative."
Crawley, who scored 407 runs during the India series, believes improvements in the team’s game management can get them back to enjoying successful results.
"We will still try to play the way we have and try to score quickly, but just pick those moments where they're on top," he said.
“We need to make sure we stay positive and don't let a tough result get in the way of what we've done really well over the last couple of years."
England return to Test action this summer with two home series.
They take on the West Indies at Lord’s, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston in July, before Sri Lanka arrive for a three-match series starting in August.
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