A Historian’s Bold Take on Bazball and the 2025 Ashes
Holland, who co-hosts The Rest Is History podcast with Dominic Sandbrook, had been hoping to time their Australian tour with the Ashes—and he got exactly what he wanted. He didn’t just show up for the cricket; he fully immersed himself in it. He hit the nets, bowled a few balls, wandered through the new Shane Warne exhibition at the MCG, and even stayed at the Adelaide Oval hotel overlooking the ground. You could say he was living a cricket lover’s dream.
But then came his first Test match outside England… and it ended almost as quickly as it began. England were swept aside inside two days in Perth, a match Holland dramatically compared to the end of the Trojan War. That whole image of great deeds, tragic downfalls, and epic scale really resonated with him. Even though he was disappointed by England’s loss, he described the spectacle as exhausting, emotional and unforgettable—exactly the type of sports drama he loves. He even singled out Travis Head as the kind of Australian batter who embodies everything he admires about cricket, comparing him to his childhood favourite, David Boon.
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During their Sydney live show, someone cheekily submitted a question under the name “Travis Head”, which only added to the fun. And Holland was genuinely thrilled when he learned that Australian captain Pat Cummins is actually a fan of the podcast. He even extended an open invite for Cummins to attend their Brisbane show—if the scheduling gods allow it.
Now, when Holland talks about Ben Stokes and Bazball, things get even more colourful. He describes Stokes as having this “Viking berserker” quality—bearded, fearless, charging into battle with the kind of wild courage you’d read about in Norse legends. In Holland’s eyes, England’s whole approach under Stokes feels like a revival movement, an attempt to restore joy, boldness and childlike excitement to the sport after a tough period. It reminded him of historic leaders who promised to make their nations feel alive again—though he very carefully avoided directly comparing Stokes to any modern political figure.
He and Sandbrook often joke about their differing sporting tastes—Holland’s lifelong love of cricket versus Sandbrook’s loyalty to football—but they do agree that a cricket series is coming to The Rest Is History . And the 1932–33 Bodyline series, with its cultural and political weight, seems to be next on their list.
For now, Holland is simply hoping for some magic from England, and especially from Zak Crawley, one of his personal favourites. Even after the rough opener in Perth, he still believes this unpredictable England team could summon something special—because, with Bazball, improbability is part of the package.
And that’s what makes this whole story so compelling: history, sport, mythology and hope all tangled up in one Ashes summer.
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