Brendon McCullum finds unlikely supporter in Alan Border: Australia legend calls Bazball critics 'absolute rubbish'

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Brendon McCullum finds unlikely supporter in Alan Border: Australia legend calls Bazball critics 'absolute rubbish' originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:​

• Alan Border defends Brendon McCullum, dismisses Bazball criticism after his sacking.
• England lost Ben Stokes and McCullum following a home defeat to New Zealand.
• Border credits Bazball for reviving crowds and Test cricket's appeal.

Allan Border backs Brendon McCullum after a difficult end to the Bazball era​

Australian batting great Allan Border has stepped forward in defence of Brendon McCullum, as he dismissed the wave of criticism directed at the departing England coach as nothing short of unfair following his exit alongside captain Ben Stokes.

England's troubles came to a head with a 2-1 home series defeat against New Zealand last month. It was a series that saw Stokes announce his retirement from international cricket midway through the final Test, on day four itself.

Just days later, the England and Wales Cricket Board parted ways with McCullum after four years in the role, officially bringing the curtain down on the Bazball era that had once transformed how Test cricket was played and watched. McCullum departs with an overall record of 27 wins and 20 losses. Though it was the heavy 4-1 Ashes defeat to Australia that really put his entire tenure and philosophy under the scanner.

MORE: 'Real mess': Alastair Cook opens up on England cricket chaos amid Brendon McCullum leaving Test coaching

Border, who amassed over 11,000 Test runs during his own storied career for Australia, wasted no time coming to McCullum's defence. Speaking at 70 years of age with the authority of someone who's seen cricket evolve across decades, he insisted McCullum deserves to be remembered far more generously as a coach than recent headlines have suggested.

“Brendon McCullum deserves to be remembered as a Test coach far more kindly than a lot of the stories written about him over the last week suggest he should be," he said.

“He is copping the whole box and dice. Everything is on his head. That’s absolute rubbish. Some of those English commentators were waxing lyrical for years about how good it was to watch then it hasn’t quite worked out so poor old Baz is copping it from all sides. That’s not right.’’

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Why Alan Border still believes in Bazball?​

Border explained that he genuinely admired what McCullum attempted to do, especially given how much pressure Test cricket faces from the shorter T20 format these days. He felt the England setup was smart in trying to make the longest format more entertaining for spectators, even if the execution wasn't flawless and could have used further refinement along the way.

“I really liked what Brendon tried to do. Mate, Test cricket is right under the pump from T20 cricket. We need to make Test cricket more watchable and what they did was actually quite smart," he added.

“It didn’t work in the end, it wasn’t perfect and they should have tinkered with it a bit more. But it left a mark which few teams ever do. Did you see the sellout crowds? People were raving about it. Test cricket needs that."

MORE: RCB's Andy Flower explains why he has ruled himself out of England coaching role

Border admitted it felt like batters were playing with Ian Botham-like freedom, describing the experience of trying to counter it as overwhelming.

“They batted like Ian Botham at times and I have been a captain trying to defend against that. It’s a nightmare," he opined. "You feel helpless. It’s almost as if you have 42 vice-captains with ideas but no-one has the right idea to solve it.”

The Bigger Picture: Border has a point, but so do the critics​

Border isn't wrong that Bazball reinvigorated interest in Test cricket at a time the format desperately needed it. Full stadiums and genuine excitement don't happen by accident, and McCullum deserves real credit for that shift in mindset.

However, entertainment alone can't be the only yardstick for judging a coach's tenure. Test cricket ultimately rewards results, and McCullum's inability to beat India or Australia in a series over four years is a legitimate concern, not media exaggeration.

MORE: Inside England's reported nine-man shortlist for Test coach role: The favourite, dark horse and outsiders

Here's the thing, though: Bazball genuinely changed how people watch this sport, packed grounds, brought back the buzz, all of that's real. But when tougher teams figured out how to counter it, England just kept doing the same thing anyway, and that stubbornness is what caught up with them in the end.

So picking a side here doesn't really work. Only talking about the good bits ignores why it fell apart, and only talking about the collapse ignores what it actually gave to the game. Neither view tells the full story on its own.

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