10 January 2023 , 16:44
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Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have reportedly given county cricket coaches an apparent 'how to' guide on their new ultra-positive and aggressive style of play that has successfully revolutionised England's Test team.
Since taking over earlier this summer, the pair have transformed a side that had won just one of their last 17 Tests into one that has now won nine out of ten by trying to remove the fear of failure and encouraging players to always take the positive option.
Their approach has been dubbed 'Bazball' and, according to a report from the Guardian, they have 'given county coaches a how-to guide on their bold new approach' in an attempt to spread it to the domestic game.
The report states that both Stokes and McCullum spoke to both county coaches and directors of cricket via Zoom at a pre-season summit held at the FA's St George's Park where they 'outlined their ethos'.
Managing Director of England Men's cricket Rob Key is also said to have stressed the ECB was not ordering counties to follow the Stokes and McCullum template. However, they remain hopeful the approach will start to filter down to the counties and help encourage players to stick with red-ball cricket instead of being tempted away by the riches on offer on the franchise circuit.
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Somerset star Will Smeed, who notably scored the first-ever century in The Hundred, essentially retired from red-ball cricket without ever playing a first-class match last year when he signed a potentially groundbreaking new white-ball-only deal with his county.
As many as five payers reportedly declined an England Lions call-up for this month's tour of Sri Lanka due to franchise commitments and the ECB are keen to guard against losing top talent to the franchise scene.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have revolutionised England's Test team (Getty Images)Speaking during the stunning series win over Pakistan, Stokes explained: "We're trying to make Test cricket as exciting as the short formats. Who doesn't want to watch a Test go into day five and be played like that?
"Test cricket needs to be looked after. It's the pinnacle - the one that everybody wants to play. If we can make a little indentation into the way other teams play the game, that will only do Test cricket some good.
"We don't want it falling off the planet. It needs to stay around. We'll do everything we possibly can as a team to keep it alive."