‘The seed was germinated through the passing of Phillip Hughes’ - Kerry O'Keeffe makes stunning claim on origins of ‘Bazball’

Former Australia cricketer Kerry O'Keeffe made a rather startling claim regarding the origins of the ‘Bazball’ approach adopted by Brendon McCullum’s England. The legendary Aussie stated that the former Kiwi skipper took inspiration after the tragic passing of Phillip Hughes in 2014.

Notably, Hughes passed away during a Sheffield Shield match after being struck on the upper neck by a ball. McCullum, the then-skipper of the Kiwis, was left shocked by the tragic passing of the young batter, as did many around the world. Moreover, in an interview in 2019 with SEN, McCullum expressed how shook he was regarding the unfortunate incident on the field and added that he would adopt a ‘happy-go-lucky' approach. 

“It’s moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Just the fact that a player playing cricket could pass away in those circumstances just made us all realise that the game can be life or death. I think that transferred into a happy-go-lucky kind of approach with our cricket,” McCullum told SEN.

On that note, Kerry O'Keeffe believes that the aggressive brand of cricket seen by the English side traces back to the passing of Hughes.

“Look, I lay it (Bazball) at the feet of Brendon McCullum. And I lay it also, and may he rest in peace, Phillip Hughes. Because that was a defining moment in Brendon McCullum's career. When Phillip Hughes died on the pitch, it was 2014, Brendon McCullum was captaining New Zealand. He said we are going to play without care, without consequence, because we are going to play every day as if it's our last and to hell with judgment,” O'Keeffe was quoted as saying by the DailyMail.

“If you detach from consequence and you don't feel judged, you play freely. That's what this England side is doing at the moment and they're doing it so well. The seed was germinated through the passing of Phillip Hughes,” he added.

The ‘Bazball’ approach has earned the English side rich dividends as they have obtained wins in 12 of their last 18 matches. Following the loss against Australia in the dramatic first Ashes Test, England will look to get on level terms in the second red-ball clash starting on June 28.