Cricket World Cup: Why England’s ODI civil war threatens Bazball Test revolution

England could prove to be its own undoing, as their disastrous World Cup campaign threatens to torpedo the Bazball revolution which has lit up the game.

The greatest threat to England’s Bazball Test match revolution has been delivered by – wait for it – England.

Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand could not derail the Bazball bulldozer but, strangely enough, England’s stunning World Cup 50 over demise, featuring alleged dressing room bickering over new national contracts, just might.

If that dispiriting vibe flows into the Test room dressing room England will have serious problems maintaining the happy-go-lucky, backslapping, “don’t care if you fail’’ vibe that is such a key element of Bazball.

It’s why Saturday’s World Cup match, when England, who have won just one of six matches to leave them dead last, take on a buoyant Australia, is so interesting.

Could England’s stunning World Cup demise threaten Bazball? Picture: Getty Images

The further England gets pushed down this World Cup hole, the more salt will be added to dressing room tensions, which could flow into the Test arena.

Beneath all the smiling hoopla of England coach Brendon McCullum’s freewheeling Bazball creed in the Test side, there lies a sensitive dressing tapestry which relies on a high spirited collective buy-in.

Miserable teams – which England’s 50 over side are at the moment - don’t know how to tap dance or bat like they are a driving a Ferrari down the highway with their scarves trailing behind them in the breeze.

Part of the Bazball success (12 victories from England’s last 17 Tests) is having players getting back to the dressing room after being caught on the fence and being told “nice work – you had a crack.’’

Take that away and replace it with a more sombre environment and you crush the spiritual essence of the entire program.

England’s Australian white ball coach Matt Mott, who could be axed after this tournament if things don’t improve, has become a prisoner of Bazball.

By dividing the role of red and white ball coaches, England handed Mott the unfortunate task of being compared to Test coach McCullum and his uniquely laid-back environment where players don’t fear failure, train when they feel they need it and smile when they used to frown.

England white ball coach Matthew Mott (right) has become a prisoner of Bazball. Picture: Getty Images

Mott is no wowser – his late best mate Andrew Symonds would have attested to that – but the challenge for him is that beside the super cool, laidback, gum chewing, feet slouched over the chair McCullum, Mott looks like the more serious uncle who is less “fun’’.

Normally the Test match format is the ultra serious one and the 50 over game is more relaxed. But, uniquely, the script has been flipped for England which, for them is both a blessing a curse.

Their Test team are playing as if they don’t care. Their furrowed browed 50 over team is playing as if they care too much.

England are having the form slump no-one expected and the echoes of it will rumble on long after the tournament is finished.

TRUE CAUSE OF SPLIT IN ENGLAND CAMP REVEALED

—Ben Horne

The Baz Ball brotherhood of English cricket has been ripped apart over a contract fiasco in the middle of the World Cup.

As England suffer the embarrassment of languishing in last position on the World Cup table ahead of a fiery ‘stumping-gate’ rematch against Australia in Ahmedabad on Saturday, rumours are swirling about division in the Old Enemy camp.

First Eoin Morgan hinted at unrest in the dressing room, and now another former England captain Michael Vaughan has drilled down even deeper to claim the ECB’s bizarre decision to release a funky new contract list in the middle of a World Cup is the primary source of discontent.

In the midst of a World Cup going on the line, England players have been left to wonder why Test captain Ben Stokes rejected a three-year deal for only one year, while David Willey has had to come to grips with how he’s failed to win a central contract at all, despite being his side’s best bowler.

Ben Stokes rejected a three-year deal with England, instead opting for only a one-year extension. Picture: AFP

Australian-born England coach Matthew Mott has flatly denied any tension in his squad but Vaughan believes chatter around contracting has caused the defending champions and tournament favourites to derail to the point they risk missing qualification for the next ODI Champions Trophy event.

“When contracts aren’t right, and there’s so many of them, in terms of three years, two years, one year, (it’s) the talk of the breakfast table,” Vaughan said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

“They’ll say there’s been no talk … there’ll have been talk every single day about those contracts: ‘Who’s got what? What have you got? How much are you getting?’

“It’s a complete and utter distraction, and it should have been sorted before, and if it wasn’t sorted before, we’ve got to leave it until the end of the World Cup.”

While Cricket Australia has continued to forge on handing out contracts as they always have, England appears to have been properly spooked by the threat of franchise league cricket taking over.

Jos Buttler has been at the helm as England go through the most embarrassing of World Cup defences. Picture: Getty

Mark Wood had hinted at skipping England’s upcoming Test tour of India next year to play franchise T20 in the UAE, and all of a sudden he’s one of only three English stars – and the only fast bowler – to be handed a three-year deal.

Joe Root, not necessarily the most sought-after T20 commodity has also managed to lock up the security of a three-year contract.

Australia’s players found out their contract situations months ago and CA even took controversy out of the process this year by not ranking players from 1-20.

CA powerbrokers have unapologetically continued to prioritise Test cricket in its contracting decisions, not the threat of T20 franchises ultimately taking over as the primary employers of players.

Joe Root (R) has landed a three-year deal. Picture: AFP

Vaughan said the ECB’s timing is diabolical.

“You cannot be doing contracts midway through a World Cup,” Vaughan said.

“… I’ll let them ring me up and tell me off and say, ‘Rubbish Vaughany, that’s crap’, but I’m going to say the contract situation is the reason that England are playing the way that they are. Contract situations, it never, ever helps.”

There has also been speculation England players reacted badly to long-term ODI star Jason Roy being left out of the squad and Harry Brook from the original squad, to accommodate Stokes coming out of 50-over retirement.

The release of a book about Baz Ball written by esteemed English journalists Nick Hoult and Lawrence Booth, has also meant new comments made by Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad about the Lord’s stumping firestorm have entered the public domain during the World Cup.

Tensions threaten to boil over again in Ahmedabad.

Originally published as Cricket World Cup: Why England’s ODI civil war threatens Bazball Test revolution