WATCH: Marnus Labuschagne calls Bazball’s addition in Collins dictionary ‘garbage’

Chandra Moulee Das

'Bazball' was coined in 2022 by ESPNcricinfo UK Editor Andrew Miller, shortly after McCullum assumed the role of England Test head coach.

Marnus Labuschagne has criticized the inclusion of the term ‘Bazball’ in the Collins English Dictionary, deeming it as “garbage”.

The word denoting the assertive style of play adopted by the England men’s Test team under the leadership of Brendon McCullum has recently been incorporated into the dictionary by HarperCollins, and listed among the ten most significant new words of 2023. The provided definition states, “a style of Test cricket in which the batting side plays in a highly aggressive manner”.

Asked if he was surprised at the new addition to the dictionary in an interview with cricket.com.au, Labuschagne said: “Oh man, that’s garbage. I don’t know what that is. Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

‘Bazball’ was coined in 2022 by ESPNcricinfo UK Editor Andrew Miller, shortly after McCullum assumed the role of England Test head coach.

England showed a turnaround in Test fortunes after McCullum’s appointment

Since his appointment, England has won 13 out of 18 Test matches, representing a remarkable turnaround from their previous lacklustre performance wherein they only secured one victory out of their preceding 17 Test matches. The term has also found application in various other domains, including politics.

During the 2023 Ashes series, Labuschagne referred to the way England were playing their Test cricket in a ‘Bazball’ style as beneficial to Australia.

Despite its widespread usage, McCullum himself expressed his dislike for the term, stating last year, “I don’t really like that silly term that people are throwing out there, because there’s actually quite a bit of thought that goes into how the guys manufacture their performances and when they put pressure on bowlers and which bowlers they put pressure on.”

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