Wizard McCullum: coaching genius or illusionist?
Is Bazball a curveball that beats the Test - Brendon McCullum and England close the book on a successful and regenerative summer.
Is it time for Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum to head back to South Dunedin?
Yes, I know, of course, not — a trifecta of home series wins — New Zealand, India, and South Africa warrants a lifetime contract extension and a lofty place on King Charles III’s honours list.
Such a commanding start to a coaching tenure is difficult to find in recent times. The heavenly match has allowed the England men's Test cricket team to flourish beyond where anyone could have imagined.
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England v South Africa, 3rd Test, The Oval, September 08 - 12, 2022 - Day Four
As only cricket can do: ‘bad light’ stopped play Sunday evening with England needing just 33 runs for victory, with nine wickets in the shed! A Test and series win beckoned, and just maybe, some welcome refreshments!
It was the end of a roller-coaster summer, and emotions were high inside a packed Kia Oval. Commonsense said keep playing. Unfortunately, both umpires were constrained by the rule-book, and an adverse 'bad light' reading taken the previous evening. Cricket, again, shoots itself in the foot.
So, back they came Monday morning, with Sky's Andrew Strauss bemoaning he had to traverse the Thames on public transport. He might have missed that Uber still has a license in London.
Zac Crawley and Ollie Pope took less than 30 minutes to gather the 30-odd runs required. England had their sixth Test win of the summer, only losing to South Africa in the first test at Lords. A sublime summer of Test cricket with six wins from seven starts against New Zealand, India, and South Africa.
And a transformational summer for England’s new coach — Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum.
But how did it happen? Well, there is nothing covert about this operation, precisely the opposite. It is conspicuous in its simplicity.
To understand and accurately support any argument for change, you must fully understand the other side's position; it's only then that you can adequately refute the status quo and engage in making changes. Too many leaders focus on their logic alone. Appreciation of why it was, irrespective of how austere it might have been, is the logical first step to change
Then, add to the mix — Ben Stokes — who replaced the decision-weary Joe Root as captain, and you have the near-perfect storm.
So who orchestrated this?
Stand up Rob Key — Managing Director of the England cricket team. Take a bow.
Key was instrumental in appointing McCullum and then Stokes to their roles. It was a coaching path not well-trodden. McCullum had virtually zero coaching experience; there were no ‘Franco-like’ medals pinned to his chest, and his office walls were adorned with racehorse pictures, not coaching certificates, a thoroughly refreshing appointment amid a consuming world of soberness.
And then to Stokes — someone who has endured a chequered past as a non-conforming player — that’s off the field, less so on the field. The list of candidates was limited, to say the least, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Back to understanding where this team had descended to?
The method was broken. Or, worse still, it was non-existent. The players had descended into a spiral of self-preservation, and the administration had closed its book on good governance. Chris Silverwood, the previous coach, had a plate so full he wasn't able to lift it to the table, and the captain was patiently waiting for someone to tap him on the shoulder.
Is that reason enough for change? The obvious can be too clear-cut to see.
What transpired is nothing more than an illusion, merely a mythical mirage.
Enter ‘Bazball’ - just a buzzword, and a word not readily embraced by McCullum. He evades its narrative like a boxer wanting to go the distance. No clear definition is evident; just a peg on the wall to hang your hat. Bazball is about thinking on your feet, promoting a ‘no mistakes' philosophy. McCullum now says there will be no admonishment of performance; only attitude will be questioned.
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A question — what do coaching and conjuring have in common?
Well, you could say both pursuits use deception to reach their objectives. Coaches predict a world where players are king, and their teams will be the best versions of themselves. In the case of magic or conjurers, they deceive by offering a world in which the laws of nature seem temporarily suspended, and logic is misleading. The cloak of illusion is mystifying.
Coaches and conjurers have more in common than illusionary worlds of universal success and magic.
Deftly, McCullum has transformed an audience from disbelief to absolute belief. An audience made up of: players, spectators, media, and administrators.
And he has done this before. Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum is one smart cookie.
New Zealand cricket has had highly competent captains: Geoff Howarth, Jeremy Coney, Stephen Fleming, to name a handful. And, yes, Brendon McCullum.
It is he, though, McCullum, who is universally credited with the re-emergence of the ‘Black Caps’ as a serious contender, to sit on top of the cricket world. His rhetoric throughout his captaincy was erringly similar to what you hear now as a coach.
His three predecessors: Stephen Fleming, Dan Vettori, and Ross Taylor, receive little acknowledgment for their own contribution to their teams re-emergence.
This is not a knock on McCullum, more a validation of his ability to make an audience see something different from what they might expect, all without doing too much different from the status quo. Enter the illusionist. Brendon McCullum is in the right place, at the right time.
There might be no greater affirmation of his ability to influence those that matter than the words of Mike Atherton, who embraces and endorses McCullum’s approach by saying:: “The future is rushing towards us, and it looks very different from the past.”
I know how conservative Atherton can be and think. Still, there is no sharper observer and student of the game, and now a peerless narrator. Add to this a liberal dose scepticism, and you have a staunch critic. Even Mike Atherton seems won over by McCullum and his brand. (I know how much his mother dislikes Mike!)
More testing challenges lie ahead. Will McCullum’s team travel with the same confidence and attitude? How long will James Anderson and Stuart Broad be able to carry the bowling load? Can Ollie Pope continue his ascent at three? Will Jack Leach ever emerge from the shadows? Being two down for nothing and seven down all-out is unsustainable. Much to ponder, and who is the critic now!
Until then, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes will consistently deliver clarity in their messages, and their leadership will be visibly united. That’s visible to the naked eye — for all to see! Watch this space.
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