Marnus Labuschagne Slams ‘Bazball’ Inclusion in Dictionary as ‘Garbage’

• Labuschagne slams ‘Bazball’ dictionary entry.
• ‘Bazball’ symbolizes England’s aggressive cricket.
• Debate over term’s significance.

Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has labeled the addition of the word ‘Bazball’ to the Collins English Dictionary as ‘garbage.’ The term, coined in 2022 to describe the assertive playing style adopted by the England men’s Test cricket team under the leadership of Brendon McCullum, has stirred controversy after being recognized as one of the ten most noteworthy new words of 2023 by HarperCollins.

‘Bazball’ is defined as “a style of Test cricket in which the batting side plays in a highly aggressive manner.” It was coined by Andrew Miller, the UK Editor of ESPNcricinfo, following Brendon McCullum’s appointment as the head coach of the England Test team.

Since McCullum’s leadership, England has experienced a remarkable turnaround, winning 13 out of 18 Test matches, a stark contrast to their previous dismal record of winning just one out of their last 17 Test matches. The term ‘Bazball’ has also transcended cricket, making its way into other sports and various fields, including politics.

Marnus Labuschagne, in an interview with cricket.com.au, expressed his surprise and disdain for the word’s inclusion in the dictionary, stating, “Oh man, that’s garbage. I don’t know what that is. Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

During the 2023 Ashes series, Labuschagne commented on England’s ‘Bazball’ style, noting its advantages for Australia, saying, “Playing that method and those shots are keeping us in the game… That’s the benefit for us the way they’re playing.”

In contrast, Brendon McCullum himself has distanced himself from the term, remarking last year, “I don’t really like that silly term that people are throwing out there because there’s actually quite a bit of thought that goes into how the guys manufacture their performances and when they put pressure on bowlers and which bowlers they put pressure on.”

HarperCollins named “AI” as the word of the year, ahead of ‘Bazball,’ ‘de-influencing,’ ‘nepo baby,’ ‘ultra-processed,’ ‘canon event,’ ‘debanking,’ ‘greedflation,’ ‘semaglutide,’ and ‘ulez.’

The controversy surrounding ‘Bazball’ highlights the evolving lexicon of cricket and the influence of innovative playing styles in the sport, with opinions sharply divided on whether the term belongs in the dictionary.

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