Former English cricketer Nasser Hussain has come out in defense of England's Bazball, referring to it as the 'dreaded b-word' that is now so often overused.
He cited South Africa's intent-less batting vs Australia in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 as an example to justify Bazball as a cricket philosophy.
Australia found themselves in trouble as they were 67/4 at one time, before pulling it back thanks to half-centuries from Steve Smith and Beau Webster as they finished at 212 in 56.4 overs.
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On what appeared to be a difficult pitch to bat on, the South African batters struggled too, finishing at 43/4 on Day 1. Mitchell Starc kick-started the Proteas' collapse, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood picked up a wicket each.
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WTC Final: What did Nasser Hussain say about Bazball?
The former English skipper has opined on the fact that England's Bazball style of play has proved to be fruitful in the English conditions due to the nature of the wicket and the presence of quality fast bowlers.
Hussain defended Bazball by saying that England at times play in that certain way, as it might be the best thing to do on English soil when nothing goes one's way.
"On the tempo of this South African inning, without bringing up the dreaded B-word, Bazball. It is the reason England, at times in England play the way they do, because they feel like they're going nowhere against high-quality bowlers."
He further mentioned that if someone just tries to hang in there even with a perfect defence, it will take them nowhere in the game.
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"If you just sit there and go nowhere, eventually you'll get one with your name on it. And that's why the England set-up have tried to be a bit more positive up front."
Hussain was of such opinion after South Africa lost their top order quickly, which put pressure on the following batters. As a result, skipper Temba Bavuma had to play slowly and cautiously, which saw him score his first run of the match after a long spell of 31 deliveries.
The South African batters played with a slow tempo after quick wickets at the top, but it didn't take them much further, as, apart from Ryan Rickelton, all of Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, and Tristan Stubbs were dismissed for single-digit scores.