The modern batting approach in cricket has been given the name "Bazball," which originated from the aggressive style pioneered by the England men's cricket team and is now a recognised term. While Bazball was initially used to describe an attacking mindset in red-ball cricket, it has since been applied to any proactive run-scoring strategy.
This innovative batting style has spawned several offshoots, such as "Bazbelles" (for the England women's team), "Gurbazball" (for Afghanistan's opening batter), "Bouchball" (a self-acknowledged reference), and even the made-up "Amazeball."
Now, the South African cricket team has taken inspiration from a different sport - football. Specifically, they have adopted an approach to batting that is reminiscent of the world's most popular sport, with its emphasis on scoring more goals than the opposition and the quadrennial World Cup events.
Enoch Nkwe, South Africa's director of cricket, explained this influence, stating, "I am a big Barcelona fan and a fan of tiki-taka." This football-inspired batting strategy has allowed the South Africans to consistently post totals in excess of 300 runs when batting first at the ongoing tournament, and even break the record for the highest score in a World Cup match.
The concept of "tiki-taka" is a style of play associated with the successful Spanish national soccer team that won the 2010 World Cup. The core idea is maintaining possession of the ball, often through a series of short passes. While not a direct translation, South African cricket coach Nkwe sees parallels in how this strategy can be applied to cricket.
Nkwe explains it as having the ability to "rebuild without having to put yourself under pressure and continue moving the game forward." He points to a recent example from a T20I match between South Africa and the West Indies. When chasing a record target of 259 runs, South Africa got off to a strong start with an aggressive but controlled 152-run opening partnership between Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks.
Even when South Africa lost quick wickets later in the innings, Nkwe said it was about "when you lose possession, how to regain control." The team was able to finish the chase comfortably, demonstrating the value of maintaining composure and momentum, even in the face of adversity - much like the tiki-taka approach in football.
Artistic Approach
South Africa's batters faced a challenging situation when they lost three quick wickets, going from 152 without loss to 193 for 3. Yet, they maintained their composure and continued to score at a strong pace, finding three fours and four sixes to keep up with the required run rate.
Even as they lost those key wickets, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen were able to build a partnership, going seven balls without a boundary but still remaining in a position to make a strong push for the win. The team's mindset was to bounce back quickly and take control of the situation, not waiting until the last ball to try and win the game.
The team's assistant coach, Dillon Nkwe, described this approach as being "artistic" - using creative shots and techniques to overcome the challenges. He also referred to it as a "hunter's mindset", where the batters were aggressive and backed themselves to succeed. This combination of artistry and aggression was key to South Africa's approach in the match.
Embracing a New Mindset
South Africa's national cricket team has deliberately shifted its playing style in recent years, moving away from being seen as "reactors" to a more proactive and aggressive approach. The team's leadership has likened this new mindset to the resilience of the protea, South Africa's national flower, which is the first to bloom after a bushfire.
This renewed emphasis on bouncebackability is reflected in how the South African batters have evolved their games. The top order has developed new scoring methods, with players like Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aiden Markram all bringing fresh dimensions to their batting. Lower down the order, players like Marco Jansen and David Miller have also worked on handling pressure situations effectively.
The team's management, led by former coach Mark Boucher, described this style of play as the "artistic hunter" approach when it was introduced in late 2019. This was part of an effort to plot a new way forward for the team after a disappointing 2019 World Cup performance.
While this more proactive and aggressive style has not always succeeded, the occasions where it has - such as against Pakistan and Afghanistan - have shown that South Africa is making a concerted effort to shed its "reactor" image and embrace a bolder, braver, and more bullish approach to the game.
The continuation of certain practices from a previous regime may seem puzzling, but Cricket South Africa (CSA) maintains that the new coaches, Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter, are aligned with this approach. In fact, CSA hopes that this strategy will become the national blueprint and be adopted by domestic teams as well. This can be seen as a sign of the times, as cricket has evolved to emphasise quicker scoring across all formats. South Africa is now catching up to this trend.
As Nkwe explains, "We know we have the talent in South Africa. It's been about how we allow our talent to express themselves." While South Africa had seen success with their fast bowlers in the past, the batting performance did not quite reach the same level. The implementation of this new coaching approach aims to address this and enable the team's talent to thrive in the modern game.