‘They thought they knew best and then they got an almighty wake-up call in Australia,’ writes former England captain
The original Bazball project is effectively finished, former England captain Mike Atherton has written in The Times, following the ECB’s decision to retain Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes after England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat.
Atherton wrote that Monday’s announcement at Lord’s “in effect ends the Bazball project as was,” with a more rigorous and accountable Bazball MkII now targeting the 2027 home Ashes. Players “who were given too much rope in Australia will be on a shorter leash,” he said, with selection likely to become more ruthless and results-driven. A senior appointment to the ECB board of someone with high-level cricket experience would also keep the management on their toes, Atherton noted.