24 June 2023 , 07:00
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You might have thought Bazball would have been perfectly suited to a prime Kevin Pietersen, but the former England batsman has questioned the tactics of Ben Stokes at Edgbaston.
Stokes has undoubtedly been innovative and exciting during his stint in charge so far, but possibly pushed his team's new attacking approach too far on day one when he declared on 393 for 8. At the time, Joe Root was flowing on 118 not out, with Ollie Robinson also seemingly untroubled with England set to soar past 400.
Arguably, the call cost England dear. After a thrilling five days that ebbed and flowed, a stand of 55 from ninth wicket pair Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon settled matters in the final session, leaving fans and pundits pondering what might have been had the hosts had those extra runs to play with.
And speaking to Nasser Hussain for the Daily Mail, Pietersen, no shrinking violet when it comes to speaking out on modern day cricket, denied he would have done the same. "No, I would never have declared," he told his Sky colleague. "Because against Australia, first day of the Ashes, 393, thinking you’ve got enough on a flat wicket…
"I am still a bit dumbfounded by it. And I know, deep down, you’re also dumfounded by it. As much as you might look at me with a smile on your face and say, ‘Oh, it’s the best thing that’s happened’, you know. 393 against the Aussies on day one of an Ashes Test match, you know."
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The 42-year-old, who hit 23 Test centuries, denied that the move mirrored his own flamboyant style: "There was almost method in my madness," he argued. "The way that I played, I wasn’t looking to throw the game away. I was looking to get the score going. I was looking to win. I’m just not 100% convinced yet in how extremely positive this approach actually is."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Did Ben Stokes get it wrong at Edgbaston? Comment below.
Ben Stokes played with Kevin Pietersen on the 2013 Ashes tour (PA)Despite the defeat, Stokes has vowed to continue to adopt the same approach. Indeed, it's a style that has yielded 12 wins from 15 Test matches since Brendan McCuulum took over a coach, and Pietersen does concede their play is captivating.
"Yeah, I like it. It’s different. It’s high intensity," he said of Bazball. "I was a real positive player and maybe I was reckless on a couple of occasions. But the enjoyment factor from the fans’ perspective is something that I acknowledged and I think this team is acknowledging."
Whether it will be the approach that ultimately regains the urn could come down to the the next Test at Lord's. Things get underway at the 'home of cricket' on Wednesday, with Stokes and co desperately needing to get level given the caveat of having to win the series outright.