How much do cricketers earn per year? – Men’s Edition.
On average domestic first-class cricketers earn $85,000 per year, an international cricketer might earn anywhere from $200,000-$2 million (depending on contract tier and nationality), and T20 freelance cricketers earn per year in the range of $700,000-$1.7 million.
This is a start to our new series on Finances in Cricket. Why?
Well because international cricket is at its fulcrum of its continental divide. The tectonic plates comprising of international cricket, T20 leagues, and World Cups are about to crash and massive seismic activity is going to take place in the next decade or so.
At the heart of the matter is the professionalization of cricket, and individual cricketers now having choices. Today we explore seven templates for cricketers to make a professional career in today’s world and analyze how much these cricketers earn per year on average.
Cricket is no longer in the 1990s, where playing at the international level was the only feasible way to earn a sustainable living with maybe an additional County contract.
We have identified seven different types of players and how much does each type of cricketer earn. These types are:
First Class Players Only (Ranji, County, Sheffield Shield)
Test Player + County contract (ex: Cheteshwar Pujara)
All 3 format player + IPL contract (ex: David Warner)
2 formats + IPL (ex: Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock)
Fringe national player + 2/3 franchise leagues per year (ex: Sam Billings)
Only T20 circuit (ex: Imran Tahir/Tim David)
TNPL/KPL + IPL Deal (ex: Varun Chakravarthy)
Note the seventh type of player is a rare edge case – those who get selected for the IPL without any domestic or international experience (for ex, Pravin Tambe & TNPL stars like Varun Chakravarthy).
Cricketer Salaries
1. How Much Do First Class Cricketers Earn Per year?
County Cricket Average Annual Salary
Minimum: $29,000, $19,500 for rookies
Average; $125,000
How the County Cricket Contract Structure Works
The minimum wage for a County Cricketer is about 24,000 pounds per year ($29,000)and for rookie signings, close to 16,000 pounds per year ($19, 500).
However, actual salaries for more experienced players and overseas signings are probably much higher. For example, in its 2021-22 Annual Report, Kent County spent 2.1 million pounds ($2.5 million) on wages in 2021, provided to 20 cricketers.
This averages to an estimate of about $125,000 per year for a County cricketer.
*Note: The average County salary may vary drastically from county to county based on funding, crowd attendance, etc.
How the Indian Domestic Cricket Pay Structure Works
The structure for Indian domestic cricket is quite interesting. Indian first-class players are paid per day rather than on a contract basis. Hence a day of Ranji Trophy game or a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 is worth the same amount.
I am pleased to announce the hike in match fee for domestic cricketers.
Before 2021, all players earned about Rs 35,000 ($440/day) and Rs. 17,500 ($220/day). However, the new Indian domestic salary structure is now dependent on seniority as follows:
Number of Career Matches Played
Salary (if selected in the XI)
Salary (if in reserves)
1-20
Rs 40,000 ($500)
Rs 20,000 ($250)
21-40
Rs 50,000 ($630)
Rs 25,000 ($315)
41+
Rs 60,000 ($750)
Rs 30,000 ($375)
Indian Domestic Player Salaries
A Ranji Trophy league game is usually 4-day games and knockout matches are 5-day games. Hence, the amount of money a player is paid per Ranji Trophy league match is as follows:
1-20 matches: $2,000 (in the XI), $1,000 (Reserves)
21-40 matches; $2,520 (XI), $1,260 (Reserves)
41-60 matches: $3,000 (XI), $1,500 (Reserves)
For knockout matches, the corresponding amount is $2,500 ($1,250 – reserves), $3,150($1,575), and $3,750 (1,875) for the three brackets respectively.
Total Domestic Season Salary
Due to the pandemic disruption, some of the formats were tweaked or tournaments were cancelled altogether. However, we can look back at the 2018-19 season to see how a regular season would look like:
Tournament
League Games
Knockouts
Maximum Days Played
Ranji Trophy
8 (4-day)
3 (5-day)
47
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (New format)
5
4
9
Vijay Hazare Trophy
8
3
11
Duleep Trophy
2 (4-day)
1 (5-day)
13
Deodhar Trophy
2
1
3
Irani Cup
1 (4-day)
4
Total
25 matches (55 days)
13 (32 days)
87 days
*Note, the Duleep Trophy (India Blue, India Red, India Green) & Deodhar Trophy (India A, India B, India C) does not include all players, and some of these Indian players might already be on a national contract.
Hence, an experienced player (41+ matches) who has played all 87 days of cricket, can earn up to $65, 250 per season. Of course, that means each of their teams would need to get to the final in these six tournaments, which will be a rare occurrence.
On the other hand, a reserve inexperienced player (less than 20 career matches), who does not get selected for Duleep, Deodhar, and Irani Trophy will receive pay for about 45 days per year. That player can earn about $11,000 per season.
However, an average Indian domestic cricketer is somewhere in the middle. The average player might play all of the Ranji league games, SMAT, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy and may have 21-40 matches in his career. Such a player may earn around $28,630 per season.
According to cricket.com.au, the average retainer salary of domestic Australian cricketer who plays all formats is 198,000 Australian dollars ($145,000).
NZ domestic players earn via an annual Retainer salary plus match fees.
The retainers range from 27,000-53,000 NZ dollars ($17,000-$33,000 USD). The match fees are 1,650 NZD per Plunkett Shield (first class) game, 800 for Ford Trophy (List A), and 575 NZD for T20 Super Smash.
The Plunkett Shield consists of 8 matches per season, 10-12 matches for Ford Trophy, and 10-12 matches for the T20 Super Smash. Hence, a player can earn between 26,950-29,700 NZD ($17,000-$18,700 USD) in match fees.
Hence, the minimum a player can earn is around $34,000 while the maximum is around $51,700.
Prototype Player: Cheteshwar Pujara – Test cricketer only, plays in County Cricket in the off season
Cheteshwar Pujara Estimated Annual Salary: $1-1.5 million
Cheteshwar Pujara was demoted from Grade A to Grade B list for the current 2021-2022 season. Grade B pays around 3 crore rupees ($381,000) annually.
In addition, match fee for an Indian Test cricket is about 15 lakh rupees ($19,000). If Pujara plays, on average, 10 Tests per year, then he would earn around $190,000 from match fees.
It is not clear how much Pujara received as an overseas signing for Sussex.
However, since the salary cap is around $2.45 million and the minimum wage for a county player is around $29,000, we can estimate a range of Pujara’s salary. Since there are around 24 cricketers in the squad, if we assume around 10 Sussex cricketers are on minimum wage, 10 more who earn around $50,000, then Pujara might be receiving somewhere between $400,000-$1,000,000 as an overseas signing
Adding it all up, Pujara’s salary is about $1-1.5 million.
3. How much do three format players earn per year?
Prototype Player: David Warner – Plays all 3 formats at the international level & the Indian Premier League (IPL)
David Warner Estimated Annual Salary: $2 million
In the latest rounds of Australian contracts, David Warner earned about 1.5 million AUD ($1 million USD) along with match fees as follows:
Home Test Fees: $18,000 AUD ($12,500 USD)
Away Test Fees: $25,000 AUD ($17,275 USD)
ODI Fees: $7,000 AUD ($4,800 USD)
T20I Fees $5,500 AUD ($3,800 USD)
Since the 2021 T20 World Cup (including the T20 WC), David Warner has played 10 Tests (5 home, 5 away), 5 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. This amounts to a total of $210,875 in match fees.
In any addition, as a prominent three format player, he was picked at the IPL by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 IPL auction for Rs. 6.25 crore ($791,000).
If we add the national contract, match fees, and IPL deal, then David Warner earns an estimated $2 million per year.
Stokes has already played 12 Tests this year with 3 more to come against South Africa next month. Although he hasn’t played many T20Is recently, England are scheduled to play 7 T20Is vs Pakistan, 3 vs Australia, and at least 5 T20Is in the 2022 T20 World Cup for a total of 15 T20Is.
Combining the Test and T20I fees, Stokes could earn about $346,500 in match fees this year.
Prototype Player: Sam Billings – Not nationally contracted player (reserve player). May IPL & 1-2 other most popular leagues to compensate
Estimated Annual Salary: $700,000-800,000
Sam Billings has been carrying drinks for England since the inception of the Earth. For someone who is always a substitute, never a permanent – how much does he actually earn?
Most famously, he had to drive 500 miles in Australia from the Big Bash as a reserve player in England’s Ashes tour of Australia. He has always been in and out of the squad, but with England’s enviable limited overs depth and with Ben Foakes & Jonny Bairstow already in Tests, he does not get much game time. In his own words,
“It would be a very Sam Billings thing to do to drive nine hours to run the drinks”
– Sam Billings
Already 31 years old, Billings has only played 3 Tests, 25 ODIs, and 37 T20Is. Being a reserve player means, he usually travels with the squad, thereby missing out on T20 leagues that happen during this time. Moreso, Billings got removed from the 2021-2022 ECB contract.
This year, he has played 3 Tests, 4 T20Is, and zero ODIs for a total match fee of $74, 800. For a player like him, he has to compensate via multiple streams of income. He just signed a contract extension with Kent, which by our own averages amounts to about $125,000.
T20 League Salaries
Finally, Sam Billings plays in the most popular T20 leagues around the world:
IPL – He was picked by KKR for Rs 2 crore ($250,000) in IPL 2022 auctions
PSL – Islamabad United – Bilings was picked in the Silver Category of the draft – Pakistan Rs. 2.4 million ($10,500)
He has played an essential part at Sydney Thunder and is most likely to be a part of the new lucrative overseas draft, which will feature four categories: Platinum – $AUD 340,000 ($236,000), Gold – $AUD 260,000 ($181,000), Silver – $AUD – 175,000 ($121,000), and Bronze – $AUD 100,000 ($70,000).
In total, Billings may earn around $400,000-$650,000 in leagues alone. All in all, Sam Billings’ estimated annual income is around $700,000-800,000 when streams of income are combined.
6. How much do IPL cricketers earn per year on average?
Protype Player: Varun Chakravarthy – Surprise player, rags to riches stories (rare cases), usually sprout up from the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and the Karnataka Premier League (KPL)
Minimum: $26,250
Maximum: $1-2 million
The IPL is a volatile market for salaries.
In the IPL 2022 auction, 204 players were sold for Rs. 54,580 lac total, for an average price of Rs. 267.55 lac ($337,000). KL Rahul was retained for a whopping Rs 17 crore ($2.1 million) per season, while the lowest player was sold at Rs. 20 lacs ($25,000) per season.
Chakravarthy himself was retained by KKR for Rs 8 crore ($1 million). His rise is accredited to the 2018 TNPL season, which resulted in his purchase by KXIP in IPL 2022. Since then, he has made a name for himself in IPL 2021 at KKR and was subsequently selected for the Indian national team for the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Tamil Nadu Premier League salary ranges from Rs. 1-5 lac ($1,250-$6,315) depending on domestic and international experience.
7. How much do T20 leagues freelance cricketers earn per year?
Prototype Player: Tim David, Imran Tahir, Rilee Rossouw (before international comeback) – Unlike Sam Billings, players in this category might not be in the national radar at all and may have the freedom to play in T20 leagues all year around.
Estimated Annual Salary: $1.7 million
Tim David
IPL: 8.25 crore ($1 million)
PSL: $130,000 (Platinum category)
Hundred: $36,000-$150,000
CPL: $20,000-$160,000
Big Bash: $70,000-$250,000
In addition, players like Rossouw have also played in the Bangladesh Premier League (salaries range from $20,000-$150,000) and the Lanka Premier League ($10,000-$60,000).
With the UAE International T20 league and other smaller leagues sprouting up, this salary will inevitably rise as the number of leagues will grow (quality may decrease, though).
The list goes on and on. Cricket is changing fast. If you blink, you’ll miss what is happening.
Where do all these issues stem from? The issue involves MONEY.
In this series, we will research and investigate it all. How much money does each cricket board earn, who are the richest cricketers, how are resources divided in international tournaments, how much money it takes to host Test cricket, etc., but today we focus on the central issue – how much do different types of cricketers earn per year?
Player salaries matter because that dictates the choices that players will make.
Even though Cricket Australia offers hefty contracts to their national players, especially to top tier players like David Warner, Steve Smith, and Aaron Finch, this innate structure is being threatened by the money in franchise leagues.
It is rumored that the UAE International T20 league will be the second most lucrative league after the IPL, and they are offering around $450,000 for Australian players to poach them from the Big Bash League, that is held during the same time.
If top Australian players do not opt for the Big Bash, who will? This may create conflict between the players and the national board, which can result in a messy standoff. Australian cricket could lose money, which would jeopardize the national contracts.
For the other players like New Zealand & South Africa, playing in foreign leagues is not an option but a necessity. They do not get paid nearly enough to afford a decent living.
Finally, in an age of T20, players like Pujara and solely domestic/Test players are squeezed out. County cricket offers another stream of income, but with separation of formats a possibility, maybe an international First-Class franchise league may be an idea to think about.
First class cricketers earn anywhere between $30,000-$145,000 per year depending on the nation, with an average of about $85,000.
How much does Ben Stokes earn?
Ben Stokes earns around $1.5 million (excluding captaincy bonuses, IPL deals, and other endorsements).
What is Cheteshwar Pujara’s salary?
Cheteshwar Pujara’s annual estimated salary is around $1-1.5 million.
What is David Warner’s salary?
David Warner earns about $2 million annually from his national contracts, match fees, and IPL deals alone.
How much do County Cricketers earn?
County cricketers earn a minimum wage of 24,000 pounds ($29,000). However, county teams have a salary cap of $2-3 million. Hence experienced players and overseas signings may be signed around $400,000-$1,000,000. Therefore, the average salary of a County cricketer may be estimated to be around $125,000.
How much do Indian domestic Ranji Trophy players earn?
Indian first-class domestic players earn based on their experience. Salaries may range from $11,000 for inexperienced players on the reserve squad, while experienced players who play most of the matches may earn up to $65,000.
Should Virat Kohli…be in India’s T20 World Cup squad? Should he not? The burning question in every Indian fan’s mind. Rohit Sharma is getting increasingly annoyed with every press conference (Here are his conferences after the 1st ODI and 2nd ODI vs England).
Virat Kohli has now been rested for the West Indies 5-match T20I series. India’s series against South Africa and Ireland gave a hint of India’s new aggressive gameplay and how the future might look without Kohli. These five games against the West Indies will make it clear, can India survive without Virat Kohli?
Here is my take—Virat Kohli should be in the Indian T20 World Cup squad but as a floater, not the #3 batter.
What are the Pros of Having Virat Kohli in India’s T20 World Cup Squad?
Several international players have come to Virat Kohli’s defense. Rohit Sharma reiterated that even though each player suffers from ups and downs in his or her career, the player’s quality never reduces. Here are some other reasons why a player like Virat Kohli might be valuable in a T20 World Cup.
Experience matters in a World Cup
Great record across formats in Australia consistently for the past 14 years
Player of the tournament in 2014/2016 T20 World Cups. Single handedly carried India.
Although IPL record is poor, his recent T20I stats have been pretty decent
Virat Kohli’s T20I Stats Since December 2020 (Post-Pandemic Break)
One of the misconceptions from Virat Kohli’s bad form is due to all formats getting mixed – Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and IPL. He has horrid IPL seasons and been found out at the Test level at times as well, but in ODIs and T20Is, he has been pretty solid.
In summary, since Dec 2020, Virat Kohli in T20Is has stats:
17 matches, 15 innings, 514 runs, 46.72 average, 134.55 SR, best of 85, 6 fifties, 1 duck
Here are his overall career T20I stats:
99 matches, 91 innings, 3308 runs, 50.12 average, 137.66 SR, best of 94*, 30 fifties, 3 ducks
What are the Cons of Having Virat Kohli in India’s T20 World Cup Squad?
Now that we have discussed some of the positives, now let us discuss what is on everybody’s mind. Kapil Dev, Venkatesh Prasad, and lots of other cricketers have asked for players to be picked on form and merit, not reputation.
So, is there a way to fitting Virat Kohli in the squad while considering both of these things?
The answer is YES. Virat Kohli can play a similar role to what Steve Smith played during Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup victory run.
Possible Scenarios for Virat Kohli
Since India are going with an ultra-aggressive batting approach, there will be volatile days when the team may collapse. Going for 225 everyday, the team might end up collapsing for a score below 100.
In this case, a Grant Elliot-esque insurance policy is needed. For India, Virat Kohli can be that insurance policy (In the current setup, either Dinesh Karthik comes in earlier to do this role or Axar Patel has been sent to delay DK’s entry. In both cases, India lost momentum. Virat Kohli instead of Axar Patel would be the ideal scenario)
Here are some get possible scenarios:
If openers have a blazing start, send in Sanju Samson-Suryakumar Yadav-Hardik Pandya, etc. depending on the situation/number of overs left. Push Virat Kohli down the order until absolutely necessary.
If an opener gets out early, still send Suryakumar Yadav in hoping he will continue the positive approach. However, if another wicket falls during this tricky phase, send Virat Kohli at #4 to stem the flow of wickets.
While chasing, if it is a tricky small run-chase in difficult batting conditions, send Virat Kohli at #3.
Another option is to carry him in the World Cup squad without playing him in the XI. In case another batter is horridly out of form during the World Cup or gets injured, Virat Kohli can adapt to whatever role is necessary.
In this way, India will still be utilizing Virat Kohli’s core skills and experience rather than expecting him to be India’s modern T20 #3 batter.
Final Thoughts
Rohit Sharma made it clear in his press conference that each player will be given confidence, especially since India are trying to play with a new approach. Failures will happen, but judgements should not be made based on one or two series.
Based on his recent IPL stats, Kohli should not make it. Based on his recent T20I stats, he should be in contention for the World Cup, but not necessarily a certainty. But based on captain Rohit Sharma’s statements, Virat Kohli will be on that plane to Australia and more than likely, in the XI. So, why not give him our full support as fans?
These were my two cents. I have presented you with both perspectives. What do you think? Which side are you on?
Here is the Quora article that instigated this idea.
At the beginning of a One Day International (ODI) match, the teams would list 12 players, where the twelfth man actually could make a tangible impact in the game — The Super Sub.
They could either replace a bowler and finish their quota, be picked as a wicketkeeper (which usual substitutes could not without special permission) or could replace a batter for the remainder of the game.
Vikram Solanki, pictured above, was the first SuperSub. On July 7th, 2005 he became the first SuperSub after replacing Simon Jones (but didn’t get to bat since England finished the chase early).
The SuperSub Rule briefly lasted between 2005 and 2006, but due to its controversial nature, was removed by 2006.
Why did the SuperSub Innovation Fail?
The Super Sub rule failed due to the rigidity in the system.
The substitute player had to be picked before the toss. Hence, variations in the game could nullify the substitute selection. What if a team went with four pace bowlers and the ball started to stop a bit? What if a team needed an extra batter after an early collapse? The Super Sub could not flow with the game and hence, it failed to bring the results it once promised.
In addition, teams brought specialist fielders to replace bowlers to keep energy in the field, which was frowned upon by the opposition.
The X Factor Rule in Big Bash
The Big Bash is now trying out some innovations like the X-Factor.
The X-Factor has the chance of substituting a player after the 10th over in a T20 game, thereby giving both teams a fair level playing field and flexibility.
If ODI Cricket is to Survive, SuperSub and Other Innovations Need to Comeback
At a time when ODI cricket is struggling to find relevance, South Africa are willingly forfeiting an ODI series and jeopardizing their World Cup direct qualification chances to accommodate home grown T20 Leagues, innovations like the SuperSub should be added again.
If the ICC doesn’t act now, the ODI game is good as over.
What do you think? What other innovations could make the ODI game relevant again?
At the beginning of a One Day International (ODI) match, the teams would list 12 players, where the twelfth man actually could make a tangible impact in the game — The Super Sub. They could either replace a bowler and finish their quota, be picked as a wicketkeeper (which usual substitutes could not without special permission),or could replace a batter for the remainder of the game.
Who Was the First SuperSub in Cricket?
Vikram Solanki, pictured above, was the first SuperSub. On July 7th, 2005 he became the first SuperSub after replacing Simon Jones.
Why did the SuperSub Innovation Fail?
The Super Sub rule failed due to the rigidity in the system since the substitute player had to be picked before the toss.
How long did the SuperSub rule last?
The SuperSub rule lasted about one year, between 2005 and 2006.
The entire list of 360 degree players is as follows:
AB De Villiers
Kevin Pietersen
Glenn Maxwell
Jos Buttler
Suryakumar Yadav
Dinesh Karthik
Glenn Phillips
The next generation of cricketers will add to this list, I am sure.
What is a 360 Player?
A 360-degree player is someone who utilizes each and every open area of the cricket ground. Traditionally, cricketers have been trained to play in the V, but due to limited overs cricket, the run scoring areas has expanded.
Suryakumar Yadav has shown that even though he was built with traditional cricket training (as can be seen from those perfect straight drives and classic shots), he has a lot more shots.
What shots of Suryakumar Yadav make him unique?
He has three shots that sets him apart:
The sweep — Most modern day cricketers have the sweep shot, but what sets SKY apart is his range. Due to his beautiful wrist work, he can hit the ball anywhere from Deep Mid Wicket to Deep Square to Fine Leg behind the 45.
The swipe — This swipe shot is something indescribable by the human eye. Most cases, it is used to hit a fast bowler over Square Leg for six. However, as seen in his marvelous 117 (55) vs England in 2022, he utilized this shot to great effect. One shot, in particular, caught my eye. He swiped the ball behind his leg and guided it almost straight behind Jos Buttler’s (WK) head for a one bounce four he
The inside out shot — Another shot that has become a Suryakumar Yadav trademark. This can be employed against both spin and pace. As seen once again during that 117, he has perfected this shot. He hit an inside-out shot behind 3rd man for a majestic boundary!
The Pull — Suryakumar Yadav began his career with a first ball pull over Fine Leg. Usually, boundaries here a bit shorter, and the fact that he can almost choose where to hit it makes him an effective 360 degree player.
And not only can he hit these wristy tricky shots, he can also play the classic straight drives. Another one of his shots that caught my eye during his incredible innings was that straight six with a little dance move. Here is highlights of his innings. If you have watched it once or twice, I request y’all to watch this innings again because it was that good.
Can Suryakumar Yadav Keep It Going?
There is no doubt that Suryakumar Yadav is in the form of his life.
These are just some of the many shots that help SKY cover what was once thought the unreachable areas of the ground. I hope he continues improving and stays in immaculate touch at the international level.
He has had to wait his time, but we have seen his gradual evolution from a finisher at KKR to a complete middle order batter at Mumbai Indians.
Surya did not receive his international cap as early as he should have, but he is making every innings count at the international level. That 117, with 14 fours and 6 sixes was a coming of age for him, and I just hope for the best for him going forward.
What is Bazball in cricket? Bazball is a fresh aggressive approach coined for England’s new Test coach, Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is ‘Baz.’
Why are we discussing Bazball in cricket in 2022?
Since captain Ben Stokes & McCullum took over, England cricket team’s record in Test match format has been astonishing: WWWWLWWWWW. This includes seven wins at home against New Zealand, India, & South Africa and 3 away wins in Pakistan. The manner of victory has been even more mind boggling—An innings victory and six wins with 5 wickets or more.
When you type ‘Bazball’ in Google Trends, you get this image below. With England’s astonishing consecutive fourth innings chases in Test match cricket, especially with the 378 against India, no wonder that interest in this term has really, really piqued in the last few days.
But what in the world is Bazball? Can someone be Bazballing? Could you become a Bazballer? Is it a noun, verb, adjective, or all of the above?
Don’t worry, be happy.
Today, we will help you out and try to answer this exact answer—The who, what, where, when, and how of Bazball!
While writing this unofficially official definition of Bazball, we took inspiration from the Merriam-Webster dictionary. We make an honest attempt here to write this definition similar dictionary format—part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), phonetic pronunciation, variants, examples, and more!
Bazball noun | b-aa-zzz-böl variants: Bazballing, Bazballer, Bazballed, The Bazball Effect 1. The purpose and intent of Bazball is to completely annihilate the opposition, abruptly change the tide of a game, and bring an uneasy calm before a surprising storm, all without sacrificing the inner innocence and amusement of a three-year-old child. 1b. Note, the prerequisite of Bazballing is the existence of a Bairstow and the ability to display aggression without displaying aggression. 1c. The Bazball Effect is largely a cricketing phenomenon but is not limited to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So, in simple terms, what is Bazball? Brave, Brash, and lots of Bairstow.
11 Examples of Bazball
England selecting Rob Key, a former English cricketer and commentator with zero administrative experience, as the Managing Director of the English Cricket Team and choosing Brendon McCullum (zero first-class coaching experience) as the head coach of the England Test team.
England captain Ben Stokes declaring on Day 1 with a score of 393/8 on a flat deck with Joe Root still 118*
Virat Kohli sledging Jonny Bairstow to wake up the sleeping beast
Joe Root being Joe Root (737 runs, 2 wickets, and player of series vs India. Now at 10458 runs and 28 Test centuries)
Different Interpretations of the Bazball
Well, don’t take my word for it. Every word has several interpretations based on the circumstance. Here are three of my favorite interpretations of Bazball.
1. The Eagle (Hindi)
In the Indian language of Hindi, Baaz means Eagle—a majestic bird that hunts its prey. Highly focused, always gets to the target.
Cannot think of a better metaphor for Bazball to be honest. The Baz meaning in Hindi aptly describes the true essence of Bazball.
2. Sanjay Manjrekar on Rishabh Pant
Well, is Bazball an original creation? The first time that cricket has experienced this feeling?
No, definitely not. We have seen this before.
As Sanjay Manjrekar states, we don’t need to look any further than Rishabh Pant.
So what’s Bazball? Well, it’s how Rishabh Pant has been playing in his last 31 Tests.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 7, 2022
3. Can You Use It in a Sentence?
In a Spelling Bee, a contestant can ask for usage in a sentence to further understand the word. Our next example doubles up as an interpretation and also satisfies the “Can You Use It in a Sentence?” segment (Don’t know what I am referring to? Watch this hilarious Jimmy Kimmel Spelling Bee segment).
There have been several interpretations of Bazball floating around on the internet, but my favorite by far, has been Andrew Fidel Fernando’s interpretation. Here is an excerpt:
“When a fielder sledges you and you sledge them back with runs. That’s Bazball. When you are so intent on showing respect to the opposition’s bowlers you walk down the track, clear your front leg, and respect them repeatedly into the sightscreen. That’s Bazball. When an old lady needs help crossing the street, but instead of walking her across you fire her from a cannon all the way into her house. Definitely Bazball…When something has been around for a while, but the rebranding is so strong it seems futuile to resist…perhaps this is also Bazball?
Origins and History of Bazball
Brendon McCullum, affectionately known as Baz, has always been in the forefront of the media.
Whether as a swashbuckling wicketkeeper back in 2002, the unofficial launcher of the Indian Premier League with his 158*, captain supreme of New Zealand’s golden run to the 2015 ODI World Cup Final, Baz has always been there. Rejuvenating Eoin Morgan’s men to ODI overhaul, inventing the BMacDilscoop, retiring on a high with the fastest Test hundred, coaching Trinbago Knight Riders to unbeaten glory, or note-taking KKR’s way out of IPL Playoffs, McCullum is a trendsetter.
But this time, it’s different. Coaching T20s? Fine, but Test matches? Baz has no experience. Questions were tossed. The England cricket team had only won one match in their last 17 Tests. How could they possibly bounce back?
They didn’t just bounce back. They Bazzed back. Whatever that means.
Four wins in four Test matches. Record chases of 250+. They have now brushed aside both of the finalists in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, New Zealand and India. The Rob Key-Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes partnership has somehow swayed a magic wand over England and rejuvenated the English fans’ hopes in Test cricket
England are no longer the good guys of world cricket. They are, now the Baz boys….
Brendon McCullum In His Own Words
Here are some snippets of Brendon McCullum from an interview after a 3-0 win over his home nation, New Zealand. When asked about emotion, clarity, keeping it simple, and his general coaching style, he said,
“I try to quieten down some of the noise…Trying to get these guys closer together and try for them to understand their game…give them as much confidence as I can…we can get caught up in a fear of failure…..and I don’t know what Bazball is…don’t know where it came from..[on Jonny] .Go out there and just be yourself. Have your moment…Try to inspire the next generation of Test cricket”
– Brendon McCullum
This has already inspired the likes of Dravid-Ball, Lax-Ball. How far reaching will McCullum’s coaching impact be?
Can Brendon McCullum Fulfill His True Legacy?
Brendon McCullum has won trophies, gained worldwide acclaim, and played memorable innings. He has achieved everything a cricketer can achieve in his or her life.
McCullum has been a lifelong trendsetter. Now only goal remains.
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Can Brendon McCullum, aka Baz, fulfill his legacy and make the Dictionary?
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*In order to get an official word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the usage and citation matters. There are dictionary employees working on a daily basis perusing through publications, articles, online editorials, etc. So basically, if we use Bazball enough, especially in written work, it will one-day, make the dictionary.
Bazball in England Cricket – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Bazball?
The purpose and intent of Bazball is to completely annihilate the opposition, abruptly change the tide of a game, and bring an uneasy calm before a surprising storm, all without sacrificing the inner innocence and amusement of a three-year-old child. The prerequisite of Bazballing is the existence of a Bairstow and ability to display aggression without displaying aggression. The Bazball Effect is largely a cricketing phenomenon but is not limited to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What are some examples of Bazball?
– England selecting Rob Key, a former English cricketer and commentator with zero administrative experience, as the Managing Director of the English Cricket Team and choosing Brendon McCullum (zero first-class coaching experience) as head coach of the England Test team – Jonny Bairstow smashing 136 (92), 162 (157), or 71*(44) and England chasing 279/5 in 78.5 overs (RR 3.53), chasing 299 in 50 overs (RR 5.98), or chasing 279/5 in 78.5 overs (RR 3.53) in 4th innings of a Test match. – Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell scoring 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries between them, not giving up, and giving England a taste of their own medicine – Jasprit Bumrah scoring 35 runs off one Stuart Broad over – England scoring 657 in 101 overs with 4 centuries in Rawalpindi against Pakistan on a dead pitch.
Who coined the phrase, ‘Bazball’?
Although the ‘Bazball’ is named for Brendon McCullum, known as ‘Baz,’ he did not coin the term himself. The phrase ‘Bazball’ was created by England cricket fans on social media and commentators.
What is the Bazball approach?
What is Bazball in cricket? Bazball is a fresh aggressive approach coined for England’s new Test coach, Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is ‘Baz.’
Cricket Food For Thought #3: Time for T20 & Test Cricket to Separate?
By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, @BCD 6/10/2022
New Zealand’s first Test against England started on 2nd June, 2022, a Test match in which Trent Boult played right after playing the IPL final on 29th May, 2022 representing the Rajasthan Royals. In fact, New Zealand’s tour of England began much earlier on the 20th May. Two tour matches had already been played before Boult reached the shores of England.
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David Miller & Hardik Pandya starred in Gujarat Titans’ road to IPL glory. Ten days later, they were playing for opposing teams when the 5-match India vs South Africa bilateral series began.
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This series is going to end on 19th of June. Then, India play in Ireland on the 26th and 28th of June, before they play their Test match against England beginning on the…1st of July.
The situation has reached such a point that a special flight is being arranged for coach Rahul Dravid, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant.
Warning For Test Cricket
The World Test Championship, although not perfect, has put some context for Test match cricket. However, with T20 leagues overtaking the yearly calendar and T20 World Cups occurring every two years now, ICC Chairperson Greg Barclay has warned
“…Some of the smaller Full Members will have to accept from a resourcing point of view that they can’t play the amount of Test cricket that they wanted to. So we may see a lessening of that, maybe they play four or five Tests a year whereas England, Australia and India I think will be playing Test cricket as they are now.”
– Greg Barclay, icc chairperson
Radical Proposal
I have spoken at length about overkill of cricket and T20 leagues, mental health issues many a times before, but radical times demand radical actions.
Today I propose a separation of T20 and Test cricket as sports. Jonny Bairstow might disagree but workload management and overburdening the cricket schedule is about to hit the edge.
Just like football and futsal are treated as different sports, T20 and Test cricket should be classified as separate sports as well. So what should this separation entail?
A player cannot play both T20 and Test formats at any level.
Separate coaches, teams, players, tournaments, and scouts for both sports. So Rahul Dravid should not go fly and coach the Test team.
Separate governing bodies and budgets
Women’s and Men’s Test matches managed under the same administrative body. Similarly women’s & men’s leagues managed under the same body (Men’s/Women’s Hundred, IPL, Big Bash, CPL, etc.)
Instead of distributing budgets, resources, etc. to these two formats, have a separate funding base
Distance the Heart & Mind
We all would love Virat Kohli playing for RCB and India in all formats all the time, but that is no longer possible. I claim, it is no longer necessary either.
When the IPL begun, each franchise had a marquee player (Dravid – RCB, Ganguly – KKR, Laxman – Deccan, Tendulkar – Mumbai, Yuvraj – Punjab, MS Dhoni – CSK). This was to develop a fan base and for continuity.
Fast forward to 2022. No Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma had off years, MSD was good but we only saw glimpses. IPL 2022 was rather about T20 specialists, The Mohsin Khans, Dinesh Karthiks, and Tim Davids.
T20 as a sport has become self-sufficient. Virat Kohli is needed at Ranji, not Royal Challengers.
Instead of franchising County Cricket or looking to forcefully promote Ranji Trophy, high profile players in domestic tournaments will raise the levels of first class/Test cricket, drive finances, and evolve as a sport faster.
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Oh and what about ODI cricket? I completely forgot about it!
Cricket Food for Thought #3: Dinesh Karthik And the Dose of Optimism You Need In Life
What connects cricketer Dinesh Karthik, US President Barack Obama, fictional coach Ted Lasso, and Shawshank Redemption?
The drive to do something special. The Audacity of Hope. The Belief in Believe. And the fact that “Hope is a Good Thing, and No Good Thing Ever Dies.”
**** Today we had lots of cricket.
So food for your thought. What lesson can you take home?
When you are at the top of the game and get recognized for your efforts, it can be easy to stay motivated. But it is what you do in the afterhours, the hard yards that you put in when no one is looking that makes you who you truly are.
Bangladesh scoring 6 ducks in West Indies the same year they stunned the World Test Champions. The Salt assault, Malan’s Mauling, Brutal Buttler, and Livingstone’s stoning of the Netherlands to take England to a world record 498. Katherine Brunt and William Porterfield retiring.
And yet today does not feel about cricket.
With every passing day, the legend of Dinesh Karthik continues to grow. We have talked about his inspirational journey before, but 2022 has been something special. Not even in the Top 50 Probables in T20s, he has suddenly jumped into contention for the T20 World Cup, scoring his first T20I fifty. Player of the match performances against South Africa, 16 years apart.
It is not just the performances that makes us celebrate these moments.
Sport is a journey. And on days like these, just being happy for DK in his life path is inspiration enough.
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Sometimes that extra dose of optimism is what you need to keep going.
So keep on going and Never Give Up.
Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 06/18/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
The number of days it took both Sir Alastair Cook & Joe Root to break the 10,000 run barrier, incidentally the only two English two cricketers to do so. In comparison, it took the great Sachin Tendulkar 31 years & 326 days to breach that mark.
What a moment. 10,000 runs with the same shot as his 100 at Lord’s. Nasser Hussain, as he always does, chose the best possible words to sum it up,
“10,000 Test Runs for Joe Root. He joins the pantheon of all-time great batters and he does it, as ever, with a smile on his face.”
– Nasser hussain
The Tale of Three Legends—Joe Root, Sachin Tendulkar, and Alastair Cook
By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 06/08/2022
Root’s Run
What’s better? Since his debut, it has only taken Root 9 years & 171 days to achieve this landmark. In comparison, Jayawardene-Tendulkar-Gavaskar took about 14-15 years after their debuts and Younis-Chanderpaul about 17-18 years (And yes yes, you’re right. Root took 218 innings, Cook took 229, and England play more Tests than anybody else, but that isanother story).
Joe Root is definitely in the prime of his career. There was a time when Root was going to be uprooted from the Fab 4. With Root inability to convert fifties into hundreds, Babar Azam’s glorious entry, Kane Williamson’s prime, & the god-level cricket Steven Smith & Virat Kohli were producing between 2016-2018, surely Root’s status was being questioned.
Post the pandemic, Smith, Kohli, and Williamson’s needles have barely moved, both in terms of runs and hundreds.
Joe Root, on the other hand, has been on a different level. 21 Tests, 41 innings, 9 hundreds, 4 fifties, 56.23 average since January 2021. And these 9 hundreds include 5 daddy hundreds—228, 218, 186, 180*, and 153. The fact that he did this as England’s Test captain, when they only won 1 out of 17 Tests, in conditions such as Sri Lanka, India, West Indies, and Australia makes his run even more unbelievable.
So naturally the question arises. In the prime of his career, relieved of captaincy pressure, with possibly another 5-10 years ahead of him,can Joe Root break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 Test runs?
Root has left the rest of the Fab Four in his tracks 😲
Cook scored his first hundred at at the age of 21. In the next 7 years, he racked up 25 total. In his prime, his record read:
2009: 3 Tons
2010: 5
2011: 4
2012: 4
2013: 2
Tons in overseas Ashes win & subcontinental hundreds, Cook was at the top of the world. Even though he slowed down after 2013, by the time he climbed the 10K runs mountain, he had already amassed 28 Test centuries. And he was still young.
It looked like he was meant to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test hundreds.
But then he didn’t.
He fell short. In fact, very, very short. Not by one, or two, or even 10 hundreds. By 18 hundreds.
Alastair Cook would only score 5 more centuries and retire from international cricket at the age of 33.
Sachin Tendulkar
In comparison, when Tendulkar was about 31 years & 157 days old, he had 33 centuries already.
However, his form was about to take a dip. Between December 2004 & May 2007, Tendulkar only scored one Test century, a 109 vs Sri Lanka in 2005.
Questions were asked. Retirement calls surrounded the media. He couldn’t seem to go past the nervous nineties in ODI cricket. Tennis elbow injuries, Greg Chappell controversy, 2007 ODI WC horror—you name it, it looked like the end for legend Sachin Tendulkar.
But then Sachin Tendulkar had a second wind (almost as long as other people’s entire career). From 2008-2011, he scored 14 Test centuries. That is 14 hundreds after the age of 35.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Joe Rooooooooooooot needs 5906 more Test runs to equal Tendulkar’s record of 15,921, which is a very long way to go
He’s scored 5912 runs in his last 69 Tests
You could add Trescothick’s entire career to Root’s and it would still be short of Tendulkar’s runs
As Mark Puttick pointed out, Trescothick scored 5825 runs in his entire 76-Test career. Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh’s most prolific Test run-scorer, has scored 5235 runs after 82 Tests and 15 years.
Root needs 5906 more.
He either needs to continue his golden touch for couple more years or needs to have a Tendulkar-esque final phase.
So, Can Joe Root Overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s Test Run Tally?
Cook retired early not because cricket had left him. He retired because he had given his everything to the game and achieved what every aspiring English player would dream of. He might even have been burnt out.
It was just a personal choice. Maybe he just wanted to give back to the roots at Essex. He is still going strong at County Cricket. Currently standing at 72 first class tons and having a stellar season.
Life is nonlinear.
Unlike statistics on a chart, real-life will have its share of twists and turns. There will be bumps on the road. Us armchair critics just jump to conclusions too quickly. No individual can continue to be at the peak of powers infinitely.
Now is the time for the moment of truth. Who was the closest? Were there any major surprises? Let’s find out.
The Results
Before we dive to the winners, here are the results from this year’s IPL.
#OrangeCap:
Jos Buttler (863 Runs) RR
KL Rahul (616) LSG
Quinton de Kock (508) LSG
#PurpleCap:
Yuzvendra Chahal (27 wickets) RR
Wanindu Hasaranga (26 wickets) RCB
Kagiso Rabada (23 wickets) PBKS
#Winner: Gujarat Titans
#Top4: GT, RR, RCB, LSG
#EmergingPlayer: Umran Malik
#SurprisePackage: Gujarat Titans team surprising everybody, Dinesh Karthik 4.0, Mohsin Khan, Rajat Patidar, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, David Miller 3.0, Umran Malik, Jitesh Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed 2.0, Dewald Brevis, Tim David towards the end, Arshdeep Singh’s death over accuracy, captain Hardik Pandya, Rishi Dhawan providing balance to PBKS, SRH’s streaks of wins & losses, R Sai Kishore seamlessly going from SMAT greatness to IPL, R Ashwin being R Ashwin (retired out, promoted to #3, finishing games off, bowling behind the umpire, etc.)
#BrokenDream: Virat Kohli & Kane Williamson underwhelm, RCB so near so far yet again, Evin Lewis’ catch crushes Rinku Singh led KKR revival, Buttler 863 fails to break the 973 record, MI/CSK end at the bottom, KL Rahul on the losing side once again despite runs
Other IPL Awards
Most Valuable Player: Jos Buttler
Super Striker: Dinesh Karthik (183 SR)
Game Changer: Jos Buttler
Fastest Delivery: Lockie Ferguson (157.3 kph)
Perfect Catch: Evin Lewis (KKR vs LSG)
FairPlay Award: GT & RR
How Prediction Points Were Awarded
Depending on how many predictions you attempted, there were a total of 11/12 points up for grab. Here is the points breakdown:
Orange/Purple Cap: 2 Points for the Exact Answer, 1 Points for someone else in the Top 3
For example, you would get 2 points if you had predicted Buttler/Chahal for the orange/purple cap respectively, 1 point for KL Rahul or QDK/Hasaranga or Rabada, and 0 otherwise
Top4: 4 Points Total, +1 for each of the play-off participants
Emerging Player/Surprise Package: Since there were several uncapped players who performed above expectations this time around (and since there were 0 predictions for Umran Malik), any reasonable guess will get a point (examples in the #SurprisePackage list above)
IPL 2022 Prediction Results Part 1
For the first part, we look at predictions from the Subtle Curry SportsFacebook group.
#BrokenDream: Russell/Narine duo struggle & MSD Retires Forever ❌
Well IPL 2022 was fun while it lasted. Now on to international cricket. Test cricket, ODI Super leagues, women’s cricket, and the build up to the T20 World Cup. Stay tuned!
By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 06/04/2022
Cheteshwar Pujara. Mohammad Rizwan. Sussex. One of the highlights of the County Cricket summer so far.
Pujara’s run was nothing short of astonishing—5 matches, 8 innings, 4 centuries, including two doubles, 720 runs, 120 average. Rizwan, although not as prolific, hit a couple of half centuries as well. Pujara has now made a comeback to the Indian Test team for the fifth Test and has acclimatized to the English conditions a month ahead of time.
NZ looked in all sorts and decimated to 132/10 via ageless Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, and debutant Matty Potts. In response, England punched above their weight and scored 59/0 with Zak Crawley finally finding some form.
Then Crawley threw it away. 59/1 No worries.
Then departed ever-promising never-performing Ollie Pope. England 75/2. Root stepped into the ground after 20 overs. Can you believe that, 20 overs? Two backfoot punches, business as usual. England 92/2.
However, Colin de Grandhomme reignited 2019 WC Final memories to get rid of Joe Root. Then came silky Southee around the wicket and IPL finalist Trent Boult to wreak havoc. Another England collapse. 5 runs & 8 wickets in 25 balls. From 59/0 to 92/2 to 100/7 and eventually 141 all out.
Brendon McCullum or no Brendon McCullum, Stokes or no Stokes, Same old, Good Ole England.
Kevin Pietersen has been ridiculed for his adamant proposal on “Franchising County Cricket.” Reduce the number of counties and things will be all good, right? Well, Matty Potts (Durham) has just come up from second division and seemed to fit right in, while Root/Bairstow (Yorkshire)-Foakes (Surrey) are first division players. Poor batting displays boil down to two reasons–a bowling era (pitches/quality of bowlers) and technical deficiencies of the batters.
Thought of the Day
Now let’s shift our focus back on Pujara-Rizwan. Why are they in England? To improve their batting skills, face different conditions, and prepare themselves when their countries play England, right?
Just like T20 specialists these days go around the world and play in the IPL, PSL, BBL, CPL, etc., why can’t England players hone their techniques in Sheffield Shield or Ranji Trophy in the off season? Ex-England chief executive, Tom Harrison, wrote to Australian board to allow English players after the Ashes loses.
So why don’t England players these days play in overseas domestic first-class tournaments?
