Brendon McCullum guided England to their first test win in Australia after 15 years.
Following England’s massive 1-4 Ashes 2025 drubbing, both Head Coach Brendon McCullum and his ‘Bazball’ philosophy that earned praise initially have faced a lot of scrutiny. Former captain Kevin Pietersen has taken it to a different level and has now made a drastic proposal to the England Cricket Board (ECB) to turn back to Andy Flower to bring glory back to Test cricket.
Pietersen believes that Flower’s strategic thinking and coaching style could correct what he sees as the excesses of the Bazball approach. He also challenged the ECB to reconsider their plans given their recent poor performances in the longest format of cricket, arguably across all departments—batting, bowling, and fielding—and questionable strategies.
“This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest. Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern-day player? He plays Test Cricket. I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama. He’s winning leagues, so he really does get the modern-day player. VERY IMPORTANT! Wild, I know! Thoughts?” wrote Kevin Pietersen.
The former captain’s bold suggestion for Flower’s return centres on his past achievements, which are noteworthy. Flower has guided England to an impressive 3-1 Ashes win in Australia (2010-11) and in England (2013), their first ICC title in the 2010 T20 World Cup, and a rare Test series victory in India in 2012.
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The aggressive Bazball strategy worked for them for the first 18 months, as they won the Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand in their respective dens and then levelled the 2-2 with Australia in 2023 at home.
However, repeated batting collapses and poor bowling performances overshadowed early promising moments, and now he faces criticism for poor match awareness, reckless shot choices, and an inability to convert starts into big innings. With World Test Championship (WTC) points slipping away, calls for more discipline and adaptability have grown louder, placing McCullum’s position in jeopardy. Notably, England hasn’t played WTC final yet.
Flower’s success in franchise cricket since leaving England further bolsters his case. More recently, he guided RCB to their first IPL 2025 title, ending their 17-year wait. In 2022, Flower won The Hundred title with the Trent Rockets. Apart from IPL and The Hundred, the Zimbabwean has also coached in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and International League T20 (ILT20).
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