Bloomsbury bowled over by Booth and Hoult's Bazball

Bloomsbury has scooped Bazball: The Inside Story of a Test Cricket Revolution, by Lawrence Booth and Nick Hoult.

Ian Marshall, publishing director at Bloomsbury Trade, acquired world English language rights from David Luxton at David Luxton Associates for publication in November 2023.

Written by Wisden editor Booth and the Daily Telegraph’s chief cricket correspondent Hoult, the synopsis says: "Bazball reveals the inside story of how the England Test team was transformed, following the appointment of Brendon (‘Baz’) McCullum as head coach and Ben Stokes as captain.

"Having won just one Test out of 17 before the summer of 2022, England went on to win 11 out of the next 14 under the new pairing. But it wasn’t just that their results improved beyond all recognition, it was also that the way they played was utterly new."

Commenting on the acquisition, Marshall said: "Like all England cricket fans, I have been swept along by the excitement generated by this team. England’s new approach to Test cricket has made all their opponents think about how to respond. Having two such knowledgeable writers as Lawrence and Nick go behind the scenes to analyse how it all came about, and how the players have bought into these revolutionary methods, makes for a read that is as compelling as Bazball itself."

Authors Booth and Hoult added: "England were at rock bottom after the last Ashes tour and the defeat in the West Indies, but then went through a remarkable revolution in how they approached Test cricket. Bazball became the talk of world cricket and its success even resonated beyond the sport.

"We were intrigued to find out how they did it. By speaking to those at the heart of it all, we have pieced together this truly remarkable story."