England’s Joe Root described the feeling of playing the ‘Bazball way’ since the appointment of Brendon McCullum as the Head Coach of the side, which has resulted in a massive improvement in their Test team.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Root described how playing during this period has been the most enjoyable time of his career. At the moment, Root is in top form with the bat as he continues to break records and has already claimed the top spot as England’s leading run-scorer in Tests.
“It has become the most fun time of my career-playing the way we play, the environment that has been created. The job Ben and (head coach) Brendon (McCullum) have done has been fabulous, and so much fun has come with it,” Root commented.
Speaking on the media uproar surrounding the term coined by journalists, Root clarified that the philosophy behind it may not necessarily be fully understood.
“It might not always get reported how it is-I don’t think ‘Bazball’ is the right way to describe it. It has been a big change and is different to how a lot of teams play, but there is a lot more method to it than is probably perceived,” he added.
With the introduction of Bazball, Root’s run tally has also increased significantly, and he led the charts in the previous edition of the World Test Championship.
Reflecting on his career, Root remains grounded and wants to focus on enjoying the game and cherishing the good moments during the remaining years of his career.
“I just want to enjoy playing, remember that raw feeling of being 10 years old or younger-watching my dad play or being in the garage or garden with my brother.
“I’m not saying sticks in the ground with a taped-up tennis ball pretending you are at the MCG or Lord’s, but waking up, opening the curtains and praying it’s not raining so you can play that day, and trying to harness those feelings.”
Root will be present in England’s upcoming series against India, where both sides will fancy their chances of securing a victory to give them a strong start in their World Test Championship campaigns.