England Cricket In Turmoil?: Out Of Favour Players Livingstone, Bairstow Scrutinise Impact Of 'Bazball'

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England cricket's hyped-up 'Bazball' approach of cricket, which was seen by the cricket pundits and experts around the world as heralding a new dawn in cricket, has apparently hit a crisis with growing scrutiny from internal unrest. Out-of-favour players like Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone have raised concerns about the poor communication and player management problems.

Injuries and workload issues, on the other hand, have also affected key English players like Mark Wood, who have to miss out on important tours because of these injuries. With criticism also coming from former captain Michael Vaughan, questions are now being raised about the team's culture and whether Bazball is masking deeper structural problems.

Livingstone Was 'Not Cared Much' Because Of Bazball

Liam Livingstone has launched a strong criticism of England's team management, revealing that he has had just "two phone calls, lasting a minute each" since his last international appearance a year ago. Dropped after a poor run in early 2025, he accused the setup under Brendon McCullum and Rob Key of lacking "respect" and avoiding "difficult conversations."

Livingstone claimed that once players are dropped, "no one cares about you," describing the environment as one where only an inner circle is valued. He also labelled the Champions Trophy as "the worst experience I've had playing cricket," adding that when he sought help, he was told he "cares too much" and should "chill out."

The 32-year-old believes his role in the team was mismanaged, saying, "I don't want to be someone that's a sixth bowler and batting at No. 7. I feel like it's a waste of my talent." Despite captaining England less than two years ago and delivering key performances, he now feels an international return is unlikely.

Livingstone also highlighted poor communication, recalling that Rob Key once told him he had "100 more important things to do than speak to you."

Despite the fallout, he remains confident in his abilities: "I still believe I'm one of the best players in white-ball cricket in England." For now, he is focusing on franchise cricket, aiming to enjoy the game away from the pressures of the England setup.

What Did Bairstow Say About Bazball?

Jonny Bairstow, one of the star performers of Bazball in the early years of its implementation, has reacted strongly to it. The Yorkshire man's statement comes after the England Cricket Board (ECB) decided to keep Brendon McCullum and Rob Key in their respective roles of head coach and director after the Ashes debacle review.

"You need the care back in the game. It is OK saying people care about things - no they don't. If you are in the system, you are in the system. As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system," Bairstow said, quoted by the BBC.

Bairstow also pointed to the rampant injuries that players pick up as a result of the brand of cricket that is played under Bazball, giving the example of Mark Wood. Wood was selected in the Ashes squad despite being away for the summer with a knee injury. The pacer managed to play only one match in the Ashes before getting injured again.

"I feel for people like Woody. I feel massively for him. He bowls at 95mph and is expected to just come in, having not come off the back of any overs. There is no wonder he has been injured. He has not been done right in my opinion," Bairstow said.

What Is Bazball?

Bazball is an informal term coined in 2022 to describe the highly aggressive, proactive, and fearless style of play adopted by the England Test cricket team under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. It is defined by an entertaining brand of cricket where positive results are preferred over draws and defeats.

The core philosophy is to play positive red-ball cricket, putting pressure back on opponents at the earliest opportunity, and removing the fear of failure. This mindset is put into practice by scoring at quick rates (usually England scores at a 4-5 run rate) in the opening phase of the test. In the second innings, the English team chose to put the pressure back on the opponent by setting up aggressive fielding.

What Next For England?

With the upcoming ODI World Cup, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is likely to persist with McCullum and not tinker with the leadership. This means that Bazball gets one more year of breathing space. However, with the diminishing utility of Bazball, it will be interesting to see whether the former New Zealand captain gets an extension beyond 2027, given that his side fails to produce any positive results.