Ashes Series Betting: Abandoning Bazball now would be catastrophic

• England a fair bet at 4.3100/30

• Ben Stokes has no fear

• Now not the time to abandon Bazball

Retain the faith, England

It didn't take long for the deep-seated insecurity in the English cricket fraternity to emerge. One thrilling, epic and narrow defeat to the old enemy and England's brave new world has been criticised as akin to a toddler's rope swing from which they are in danger of hanging themselves.

For those who gambled on England to win this series before the Edgbaston classic you can also bet a decent sum that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will not be listening.

England are far from out of this series at 4.3100/30 with the Betfair Exchange and their commitment to 'Bazball' is unshakeable. Australia can be laid at 1.558/15.

If only the critics had a little more courage. Taking the press pack with you in an Ashes campaign has been crucial for England in home series in the past but they'd be happy to drop off a few at the services and speed off on their way down to London for next week's Lord's Test.

One scribe reckoned that Bazball was all very well but England needed to recognise that 'results matter'. It is a dumbfoundingly ignorant claim about what England's style is and how it works.

For context, England have transitioned in spectacular and rapid fashion from a team with one win in 17 to 11 wins in 14 under McCullum and Stokes. As a study sample it is chunky enough to reckon that England are doing an awful lot right.

It is churlish to dismiss those 'right things' as gimmicks such as aggression with the bat, umbrella fields and bold declarations. It is far more important to recognise that they are only possible because England do not care about results. You cannot have the former without the other.

The Holy Grail

McCullum, for a short period at least, has achieved the Holy Grail for elite-level coaches. He has somehow managed to trick his players into believing that the end result doesn't matter. It is an illusion which the majority of coaches at this level of sport will aspire to, only to be let down by their own foibles at a crucial time perhaps because of pressure from his employers, fans, the media and, sometimes, the players themselves.

When a player is freed from the heavy burden of 'you must win the game' he or she can lean back on their God-given natural ability, which was what got them there in the first place, and hit, kick, run or lift with the joy of being the best. The end result should never be spoken of. After all, it is an unspoken truth that, deep down, all pro athletes fear. They don't need reminding that results matter. They need to forget.

If a coach or manager can successfully convince his charges to concentrate solely on the baby steps in a process then the result will take care of itself. That was what England did so brilliantly for all but the last hour of the Edgbaston Test.

And, by the way, it was no coincidence that pat Cummins was suddenly able to play with freedom and joy when Alex Carey was out. He knew Australia were all but beaten. He had forgotten about the result and was just playing with his natural God-given ability.

I wrote a book on the subject a few years back. A wily old sports psychologist said to me: 'what do you say to the basketball player when he's stepping up for the free-throw? It sure as hell better not be anything about technique or that he's gotta win the game'. Nope. Ask him where he's going for dinner. Anything else.

The mind guru

And just think about that for a moment. Before high-pressure contest a coach is roaming around the dressing rooms spouting soundbites like 'do it for your country' and 'we've gotta win the game'. What is the opening bat, who will soon have to face 90mph missiles, thinking about those statements. Are they helpful? Obsessing about the result at that point?

Precisely how will 'doing it for his country' help him in that situation? I'm very much channelling Justin Langer in The Test if you've not seen it.

McCullum gets it. Which is not that surprising because McCullum for a while in his career used a mind guru called Kerry Schwalger, who even he would eventually dismiss as a bit out there. That's in my book, too, and the genesis of Bazball may even have begun with McCullum's relationship with Schwalger.

In short, it would be utter madness for Stokes and McCullum to abandon their method or to start caring or worrying about results. It would almost guarantee defeat.

If anything, they should go harder at Australia. There is much to be misunderstood about the way England have chosen to play and Australia are far from immune from that.

The suspicion is that they don't get it themselves. See Josh Hazlewood's views on the early declaration. There's also a suspicion that, perhaps Australia know they were fortunate to steal the win in Birmingham having been, frankly, chasing the game since ball one. If England retain their faith it is Australia whose tactics and plans should be scrutinised.

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