"It has been Casual Ball - CazBall if you will, not Bazball" - Glenn McGrath blasts England over Jonny Bairstow's dismissal

Legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath has slammed England's 'casual' approach towards the Ashes 2023 so far and feels Jonny Bairstow's dismissal explained in a nutshell just how relaxed they seemed to be.

McGrath was disappointed to see the 'spirit of cricket' debate emerge after Bairstow's stumping as he felt the batter too should have been respectful of where his crease was.

In his column for BBC Sport, here's what Glenn McGrath wrote about England's performance so far in the two Tests:

"Bairstow's dismissal epitomizes what we have seen from England in this series. It has been Casual Ball - CazBall if you will, not Bazball. The Yorkshireman walking out of his crease like he owned the game, was the culmination of everything we have seen from this current team.

"I have read a lot about the 'spirit of cricket' this week. Well, you have to respect Test cricket with your attitude as well. You cannot just go wandering out of your crease."

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Glenn McGrath on England batters' shot selection

Glenn McGrath was also a bit baffled to see the shots played by some of the England batters during the Lord's Test that ended up being the reasons for their dismissal. He slammed the think tank for covering up the poor strokes by saying that they were given the 'freedom' to express themselves.

On this, McGrath stated:

"I love the freedom England are playing with, but some of the shots they have played you have to ask the question. Maybe there is accountability inside the dressing room but the noise coming out is 'we give the batters freedom' and 'it's up to them'. That is like running a race, finishing 27th and someone giving you a medal. This is Test cricket. It is the Ashes!"

The hosts need inspiration from somewhere to turn things around in the third Test at Headingley, Leeds, starting on Thursday, July 6.

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