5 English pundits who have been critical of Bazball in Ashes 2023

Ashes 2023 has not panned out for England quite as hoped following a poor start to the proceedings so far. The Ben Stokes-led side are trailing 1-0 in the five-match Test series, having also failed to make much of an impression in the ongoing second Test at Lord's.

There was high optimism from the current England side ahead of the series as they wish to get hold of the urn for the first time in a decade. There were several doubts over the home side's ability to maintain their aggressive approach against a quality bowling attack and a high-pressure situation like the Ashes.

While the batters have shown positivity and played out a fearless brand of cricket, fans and pundits alike have been critical of the team's early declaration in the first innings as well as their team selection and means of dismissals so far.

English pundits are perhaps one of the most ruthless and unabashed of their kind. They have not minced their words by any means and have expressed their thoughts through their columns or during their broadcast stints across the last couple of weeks.

The most traditional-minded group of individuals are yet to completely adjust to arguably the biggest revolution in red-ball cricket. It is not a surprise that they have latched onto Bazball at a time when its first cracks are on show and exploited by their rivals, no less.

On that note, here are five English pundits who have been critical of Bazball in Ashes 2023.

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#1 Kevin Pietersen

The former England batter lambasted the team's lethargic and casual approach on Day 1 of the Lord's Test. Kevin Pietersen was baffled after witnessing English players being involved in friendly chats with their counterparts in the thick of the Ashes action.

Prior to that, he was also overly critical of England's decision to declare at 393-8 in the first innings of the Ashes opener. He mentioned on Sky Sports that he confronted Bazball's creator over the strategy which did not pay off.

He said:

“I love the positivity. But it’s just this series, in particular, that I still need to get my head around. I actually walked up to McCullum on the Saturday and said, ‘Please explain this to me because I don’t understand it’.

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#2 Michael Vaughan

The former England skipper has reserved praise for Bazball when it has yielded optimum results but has criticized the team for going overboard at times and inviting unnecessary problems with it at times.

Michael Vaughan was far from pleased with Zak Crawley losing his wicket after trying to step down the track when the team was comfortably placed at 91-0 on the second day of the Lord's Ashes Test.

He said:

“That’s the problem with this England side – they don’t realise when they’re on top. They just carry on with this method. There’s no need for that dismissal."

Vaughan continued:

“If you get a beauty on a pitch like this … then you say ‘well bowled’. But there’s not going to be many beauties bowled on this surface at the minute. Just play sensibly! We can’t mix entertainment with stupidity."

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#3 Nasser Hussain

The former England skipper has arguably been one of Bazball's biggest advocates since its inception and has praised Ben Stokes for instilling a positive mindset in a crop of players, who were lost under Joe Root's regime.

However, even Nasser Hussain failed to see the point in English batters taking risks in unfavorable situations in such a high-profile series like the Ashes.

He wrote in his column for the Daily Mail:

“The pull and the hook shot – when there’s two men out – OK. But when there’s three men out then suddenly the percentages, the risk taking is not in your favour.”

He wrote in a previous column after the first Test:

"If those errors had not been made, England would have won, but all we have seen since that Test are comments on the merits of Bazball and whether it can win the Ashes."

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#4 Sir Geoffrey Boycott

Legendary English batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott was not amused by the team's philosophy of prioritizing the entertainment factor by sticking to their aggressive approach rather than winning the Ashes.

He recently said on the Vaughany and Tuffers podcast:

“When you get ahead of yourself – and that’s what England did – they stopped thinking."

Boycott added:

“If you’re going to just entertain, they might as well be a circus. That’s it, go be a professional circus around the world. If you ask people in England ‘Do you want to win the Ashes, or do you want to entertain and lose?’, I know what the answer will be.”

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#5 David Gower

David Gower, the former England batter, wishes to see some common sense being incorporated into the framework and foundations of Bazball in the future.

He criticized the manner in which the England batters lost their wickets at Lord's in their first innings.

Gower said:

“I want Bazball to get smarter. I’m getting sick of people running down the pitch and missing it when they’re playing well.”

Will England continue with their aggressive approach even if they go 2-0 down in the Ashes on home soil? Let us know what you think.