Australian cricketing great Allan Border has labelled critics of Bazball “absolute rubbish” following the departure of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes from England’s Test side.
England suffered a 2-1 home defeat to New Zealand last month, with Stokes announcing his international retirement during Day Four of the final Test.
Then last week McCullum was sacked after four years as Test coach, bringing to an end the Bazball era.
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He leaves with a record of 27 wins, 20 defeats, and two defeats, but the recent 4-1 Ashes humbling at the hands of Australia has led to severe criticism of the era as whole.
Yet Border, 70, who scored more than 11,000 Test runs for Australia, has leapt to the defence of McCullum and England’s style of play during his reign.
He said: “Brendon McCullum deserves to be remembered as a Test coach far more kindly than a lot of the stories written about him over the last week suggest he should be.
“He is copping the whole box and dice, Everything is on his head. That’s absolute rubbish.
“Some of those English commentators were waxing lyrical for years about how good it was to watch then it hasn’t quite worked out so poor old Baz is copping it from all sides. That’s not right.’’
McCullum’s departure from the England Test set-up comes at the end of a run of seven defeats in nine matches.
It also arrives shortly after a nightclub incident involving Stokes and fast-bowler Gus Atkinson.
But despite the turmoil surrounding England, Border feels the impact of their approach over the last few years has had a positive impact on Test cricket.
He added: “I really liked what Brendon tried to do. Mate, Test cricket is right under the pump from T20 cricket. We need to make Test cricket more watchable and what they did was actually quite smart.
“It didn’t work in the end — it wasn’t perfect and they should have tinkered with it a bit more. But it left a mark which few teams ever do. Did you see the sellout crowds? People were raving about it. Test cricket needs that.
“They batted like Ian Botham at times and I have been a captain trying to defend against that. It’s a nightmare. You feel helpless. It’s almost as if you have 42 vice-captains with ideas but no-one has the right idea to solve it.”
Andy Flower, who coached England between 2009 and 2014, has ruled himself out as McCullum’s replacement.
Vice-captain Harry Brook is the favourite to replace Stokes as skipper.
England’s next Test, the first of a three-match series, begins on August 19 against Pakistan.