You might be wondering who Andrew Miller is and how he is associated with Brendon McCullum. Andrew Miller is an Editor at ESPN Cricinfo who primarily covers England cricket. In May 2022, during ESPN Cricinfo’s Switch Hit podcast, Matt Roller coined the term ‘Bazball’ following the appointment of Brendon McCullum as England Men’s Test head coach. McCullum, nicknamed ‘Baz’, inspired the term, which came to describe England’s fearless and ultra-aggressive approach to Test cricket under his leadership.
Since then, the term ‘Bazball’ has gone viral, with cricket pundits regularly using it whenever England’s men’s team has taken an attacking approach against opposition bowling attacks. The phrase became so popular that it entered the Collins Dictionary in 2023 as a noun, defined as “a style of Test cricket in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative by playing in a highly aggressive manner.”
One can argue that Australia and India had adopted similar attacking methods earlier through players like Adam Gilchrist, David Warner, and Virender Sehwag, who scored at rapid rates in Test cricket. However, England took the concept to another level as an entire team, consistently scoring at nearly five runs per over and embracing an attacking mindset collectively.
No More ‘Bazball’ as Brendon McCullum’s Era Ends After Four Years
On July 12, 2026, the ECB announced that Brendon McCullum had stepped down as England Men’s Test head coach, although he will continue coaching the white-ball teams. As things stand, ‘Bazball’ has effectively been retired until McCullum takes up another Test coaching role elsewhere.
The last seven to eight months proved to be a difficult period for England’s Test team. They suffered a 4-1 Ashes defeat to arch-rivals Australia away from home, and to make matters worse, they also lost the home Test series against New Zealand 2-1.
Coincidentally, both Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes began their respective journeys as coach and captain against New Zealand in 2022 and ended their Test stints together against the same opposition in 2026 following a defeat at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Ben Stokes announced his surprise retirement after the Nottingham Test, having already come under scrutiny for breaking the team’s night curfew following England’s victory at Lord’s earlier in the series. McCullum, meanwhile, was relieved of his duties after England managed just two victories in their last 10 Test matches.
With Pakistan scheduled to tour England next month for a three-match Test series, the Three Lions are currently without both a Test coach and captain.
How ‘Bazball’ Started and Took the World by Storm
England’s Test team was going through one of its toughest phases under Joe Root’s captaincy during 2021-22. The ECB could not ignore successive series defeats against India (3-1 away), New Zealand (1-0 at home), Australia (4-0 in the Ashes away), and West Indies (1-0 away).
That prompted the board to make sweeping changes. Robert Key, the Managing Director of England Cricket, was instrumental in appointing Brendon McCullum as England Men’s Test head coach. McCullum had already earned widespread praise for transforming the culture of several T20 franchises, most notably leading Trinbago Knight Riders to the CPL title in 2020.
McCullum’s first assignment as England’s Test coach came against his home country, New Zealand, in June 2022. He needed a strong leader to drive the transformation, and Ben Stokes proved to be the ideal choice. Together, they changed the way England approached Test cricket.
The early days of the partnership were filled with success. England did not lose a single Test series before suffering a 4-1 defeat to India away from home in March 2024. Opposition teams began to fear the new-look England side as ‘Bazball’ redefined modern Test cricket.
England secured home series victories against New Zealand (3-0) and South Africa (2-1), while also becoming the first team to whitewash Pakistan 3-0 in Pakistan. Recovering from 2-0 down to level the 2023 Ashes series 2-2 at home also remains one of the standout achievements of McCullum’s tenure.
McCullum’s coaching philosophy was built around relationships, trust, and giving players the confidence to express themselves. Alongside Ben Stokes, he consistently backed players and encouraged them to play their natural game.
The duo selected players who perfectly suited the ‘Bazball’ approach, with the cricketing world witnessing the rise of Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Jamie Smith. Even the great Joe Root successfully adapted his game to fit England’s new philosophy.
McCullum’s four-year stint as England Men’s Test head coach was a roller-coaster ride. He introduced a revolutionary style of playing the longest format, one that changed perceptions of Test cricket around the world. While few teams have attempted to replicate England’s ultra-aggressive approach so far, more may look to embrace it in the years ahead.
Overall, McCullum coached England in 49 Test matches, winning 27, losing 20, and drawing two.
Before turning to coaching, Brendon McCullum represented New Zealand in 101 Tests, 260 ODIs, and 71 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in 2016.