'I know everyone keeps talking about Bazball; To be honest, I didn't really see Bazball throughout my two Tests against them.'
Australia’s star bowler Nathan Lyon rubbished suggestions that ‘Bazball’, the aggressive style of cricket displayed by England’s Test team, has revolutionized the game.
The off-spinner, who is just four wickets shy of 500 wickets in Test cricket, said he did not see 'Bazball' in the two Ashes fixtures he was part of last year before injury sidelined him for the remaining three.
The term ‘Bazball’ came into being after Brendon McCullum, who is nicknamed Baz, was appointed England Test coach last year.
"I'm 2-0 against Bazball so I am happy," Lyon joked on Channel 7's ‘Front Bar’ show on Thursday.
"It's a load of s***, if you ask me. It's a brand of cricket that the English want to keep going with. Now, it's in the dictionary, which is pretty extraordinary."
Lyon took nine wickets in three innings before sustaining a calf injury as Australia took a 2-0 series lead at Lord’s. The injury ruled him out of the rest of the series.
It was not the first time Lyon mocked 'Bazball'. Again, he termed aggression as an ability to shift through gears during the course of a Test match.
"I know everyone keeps talking about Bazball; To be honest, I didn't really see Bazball throughout my two Tests against them.
"I look at the Australian cricket team and the batters we've had, David Warner for example… I've seen him score hundreds in a session and that's off playing an attacking brand of cricket.
"I think there's a lot of smoke and mirrors with Bazball; if I'm being honest with you, and I feel like if you're going to play an aggressive brand of cricket anyway, it's about being able to go up and down in gears and understanding the moments in the game," he added.
Australia went on to retain the Ashes after the five-match series ended 2-2.
