Bazball en · NOUN
Etymology
From Baz + ball, Baz being the nickname of New Zealand cricketer and coach Brendon McCullum.
Meanings
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(informal, neologism, slang, uncountable) An aggressive run-scoring approach to cricket.
BRENDON McCullum has referred to ‘Bazball’, the playful term coined in homage to England’s new Test head coach, as ‘silly’.
[2022 July 9, “England's McCullum dismisses ‘Bazball’ as ‘silly’”, in Manchester Evening News, Glasgow, page 41:THE effects of Bazball can already be seen in the wider cricketing world, too. No sooner had Ben Stokes put out a call to arms telling county cricketers they had to play his way to get in the England team comes evidence of a response from Dom Sibley.
2022 July 13, Paul Newman, “World of Cricket”, in Daily Mail, London, page 70:The focus on Bazball may have damaged England's chances at the World Cup – but it is "seemingly now also part of the solution".
2023 November 18, “Cricket: what the white-ball side can learn from Bazball”, in The Week, Bath, page 24:The debate about ‘Bazball’ is absurd: for professional sport to survive it has to be entertaining, and aggressive cricket is undoubtedly far more entertaining than defensive cricket.
2024 April 6, Roger Alton, “County cricket needs Bazball”, in The Spectator, London: