‘It asked different questions of our own team’: Matt Henry on Bazball

Bazball, the aggressive batting style adopted by England, reached a controversial conclusion when Ben Stokes announced his retirement and the England Cricket Board dismissed Brendon McCullum. Former New Zealand seamer Matt Henry, who played against the England team during the Bazball era, praised the approach and said it pushed him to new limits.

"They put you under pressure and moved the game forward a lot, things that I suppose everyone was trying to do," Henry told Wisden. "But I think what they actually achieved in the game, in terms of putting the game forward, was really good."

However, the aggressive nature of Bazball also exposed some vulnerabilities. "Obviously, on the other side of it, there were moments where you could expose it," Henry added. "That's what happened." He acknowledged that the England side approached the game with a specific strategy, forcing the opposition to adapt. "For us, we knew, Right, they're going to take it in this direction.

How do we bring it back to our cricket?" Henry explained. The challenge was to stay focused on one's own game despite the constant pressure from the opposition. "That was always a challenge when you're running in with a new ball and you've got a guy charging you, trying to whack you over your head, which is not what you're after, is it?"

Henry said. "You're wanting someone who's caught in the crease and moving, and all of a sudden they're asking you, Hey, lose a catcher. Then they go back to normal and you nick it, and you've got no catcher there anymore."

The Bazball era presented a unique set of challenges for Henry and his teammates. While it pushed the game forward in terms of aggressive batting, it also exposed some weaknesses that needed to be addressed. Henry recognized the difference in approach between the two sides and emphasized the importance of staying true to one's own style of play. "It asked different questions of our own team, and that was where the focus and energy had to make you stronger about your own game," he concluded.