BAZBALL NEEDS A BIG HAUL

Coming year is crunch time for the Stokes & McCullum era, believes Cook

- MIKE WALTERS

SIR ALASTAIR COOK believes the next 12 months will define the worth of Bazball's gift to Test cricket.

If Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes (right) bring home the sacred urn from next winter's Ashes series Down Under, they will be celebrated as the dream ticket that transformed the five-day game.

But former England skipper Cook says they need a "tangible" prize to consecrate the breathless run rates, trick shots and sheer audacity.

In their union as captain and coach, Stokes and McCullum won 10 of their first 11 Tests, but in 2024 the going has proved heavier. Seven wins, seven defeats.

And Cook, speaking at Lord's as TNT Sports expert pundit, claims their partnership has reached a pivotal moment.

He said: "Since Ben and Brendon took over, there have been 100 Test matches played, and England top the table, winning 62 percent of their matches.