Nasser Hussain<\/a> had remarked: \u201cAt times, Bazball in this regime has been described as a cult where you cannot criticise, either within or externally.\u201dThat mindset has been one of the cornerstones of Stokes and Brendon McCullum\u2019s leadership since they took charge in the summer of 2022. No finger-pointing, only good vibes. Crusty old quotes from former players, media and critics are ignored, irrespective of results. Winning, as has been said repeatedly, isn\u2019t even the most important thing.![\"Hertha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/hertha-berlin.jpg\" "\\"Hertha")
<\/p>\nHertha Berlin supporters <\/p>\n
Bazball may sound like a novel idea in modern cricket, but it finds precedent in the world of club football — particularly among the Ultras. The term refers to supporters whose loyalty crosses into fanaticism, defined by uncompromising devotion to their teams.Their history has often been marred by violence and gang rivalries, giving the movement a bloodstained reputation. Yet the intensity of their support is such that Ultras, usually stationed behind the goals, wield real influence, commanding the attention of players and club hierarchies alike. Trophies matter, but what truly defines an Ultra is the disciplined, almost militaristic backing of the club through success and failure.Take the example of Berlin\u2019s top clubs. Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin, shaped on opposite sides of the Wall, carry a more understated identity than Germany\u2019s global powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. There were even periods when Berlin lacked a top-flight club altogether. Still, beneath the surface, the city\u2019s football culture has remained vibrant and deeply entrenched. ![\"Australia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/australia-england-cricket.jpg\" "\\"England")
<\/p>\n
England players celebrate the wicket of Australia’s Scott Boland, center left, during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/Hamish Blair)<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to define culture as being about success, titles, numbers and industry, f**k off. Then you have to go to Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund,\u201d rapper Liquit Walker, a lifelong Union Berlin fan, once told Copa90. \u201cBut if you want to see real culture, real football culture, this is the place to be.\u201dMuch like football Ultras, the Bazball movement has found loyal supporters — particularly among sections of the media and former cricketers, who have sold the idea as though cricket has been reinvented.But cricket can never be football. No matter how it is packaged, the Bazball idea is falling flat, and its accompanying arrogance has only made matters worse.Take Alastair Cook, England\u2019s hero during the 2010\u201311 Ashes — the last time they won in Australia. Cook scored 766 runs. In India in 2012, another rare overseas triumph, he made 562 runs. Substance, not slogans, defined those victories. ![\"Australia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766757792_513_australia-england-cricket.jpg\" "\\"England's")
<\/p>\n
England’s Ben Stokes walks off after losing his wicket to Australia during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/Hamish Blair)<\/p>\n
But Stokes has famoulsy said that even England\u2019s greatest past players might not have survived in the current regime. They went all in on the cult of Bazball and initially found the backing of fans to flourish. But in recent weeks, Australia — a side Stuart Broad had labelled the \u201cweakest since 2010\u201d \u2014 have outplayed England in every facet, despite not fielding their best XI in every Test.This England side, like many cults before it, is beginning to fracture. The Bazballers, once tipped to be invincible, appear closer to their reckoning.<\/p>\n
Poll<\/p>\n
What do you think is the main reason for England’s struggles in the Ashes series against Australia?<\/p>\n
Former England captain Mike Atherton captured it succinctly in his column for The Times: \u201cThe biggest fascination for me about \u2018Bazball\u2019 was always whether \u2018no-consequence\u2019, carefree cricket could hold up under the fiercest pressure\u2026 The answer, clearly, has been no. The harsh realities of professional sport have resurfaced and swamped them.\u201dSo far, this Ashes for the Bazballers has been defined by golf, beaches, booze — and batterings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"England’s Ben Stokes reacts after attempting to stop a boundary on the first day of the fourth Ashes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":336635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[22816,117815,1721,309,15458,19030,130972,107038,101,29561,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-336634","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket","8":"tag-ashes","9":"tag-bazball","10":"tag-cricket","11":"tag-england","12":"tag-joe-root","13":"tag-michael-vaughan","14":"tag-mike-atherton","15":"tag-nasser-hussain","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-stuart-broad","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Boozeball](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ben-stokes.jpg\" "\\"England's")
England’s Ben Stokes reacts after attempting to stop a boundary on the first day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. (AFP) New Delhi: The Bazballers arrived on Australian shores with plenty of noise, wrapped in bravado and belief, armed with soundbites about fearlessness and a self-appointed mission to save Test cricket — a cause they have gone gaga over for the past few years. But the aura has thinned. The defiance feels rehearsed. Australia have done what they have done to almost every visiting side — barring India in 2017\u201318 and 2020\u201321 — strip away the noise, test the method, and grind it down to its barest truths.This was not a clash of philosophies; it was a reality check. <\/p>\n![\"Ashes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ashes-advantage-england-visitors-take-4-australian-wickets-after-winning-the-toss-at-the-mcg.jpg\" "\\"England's")
<\/p>\n![\"Ashes:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ashes-australia-vs-england.jpg\" "\\"England's")
<\/p>\n