'Bazball' Now Added As An Official Word In Collins' Dictionary, Shortlisted For Word Of The Year

Blistering knocks out the gate, swashbuckling strokes played at every opportunity possible, taking the attack to the bowlers any and every time. Words one would never assume to associate with the elder format of the gentleman’s game — Test cricket.

But, this is what every cricket fan would describe the explosive batting strategy devised and deployed in Test cricket by the England squad in recent years, under the guidance and supervision of none other than former New Zealand opener and current England Test Cricket Head Coach Brendon McCullum.

The human highlight reel that is McCullum might not particularly be fond of the term, but it has nonetheless taken the cricketing world by storm.

Well, it is no longer an affectionate term used by afficionados alike, but it is now an officially recognised word in the Collins’ Dictionary.

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The term ‘Bazball’ has now entered the Collins dictionary in which it’s listed as a noun and described as: “a style of Test cricket in which the batting side plays in a highly aggressive manner.” Fair enough, given who it has been named after.

Its origin is noted as ‘C21: after Brendon McCullum, known as Baz (born 1981), New Zealand cricketer and coach’.

The real nickname ‘Baz’ comes from McCullum’s middle name ‘Barrie’, and when it comes to Bazball, McCullum will be the first to tell you that he does not like the term.

“I don’t really like that silly term that people are throwing out there,” he said. “Because there’s actually quite a bit of thought that goes into it,” McCullum has been quoted as saying.

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In true modern language style the term, first coined by the UK editor of ESPN Cricinfo Andrew Miller in a podcast, became the catch all term for the way that England’s Test team started to function in 2022 under the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

It is now also in contention for Collins’ Word Of The Year 2023 as well, as it made the shortlist revealed by the organisation themselves.

And it has now come to define a new era of exciting Test match cricket, which led to tremendous success and almost lead to England clinching the 2023 Ashes away from the Aussies, from down 0-2. But, ultimately, the series was tied and Australia retained the Ashes.