"Some say Bazz Ball, I just think it’s smart Cricket" - AB de Villiers hails England for bold declaration ahead of Day 5

South African cricket legend AB de Villiers has praised England and their team management for their bold declaration late on Day 1 of the ongoing Ashes Test in Edgbaston.

England had declared their first innings at 393/8. That raised quite a few eyebrows as many felt that since Joe Root and Ollie Robinson were still at the crease, they could have added more runs.

However, the number of overs that have been lost due to rain in the Edgbaston Test has made AB de Villiers feel that the declaration was a smart decision.

Here's what he tweeted:

"I never looked at the Birmingham weather leading up to this Test match. The way England played now makes sense. Call it what you want, some say Bazz Ball, I just think it’s smart Cricket.

"The best teams are prepared to adapt and play situations in a way that’ll ultimately put them in a winning position more often than the rest, whether that’s by making bold declarations or playing reverse sweeps a lot, whatever it takes."

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AB de Villiers compares England's mindset with CSK

AB de Villiers further explained in the tweet how important it was for every player to buy into the vision and the brand of cricket that the team wants to play. He claimed that England are doing just that while citing the example of MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings.

On this, De Villiers stated:

"The only way to make it impactful is to have a complete buy in from every individual, no ego’s, no stats driven players, just a full on buy in to be the best team in the world. That’s how I see the Eng team play atm (at the moment). Also saw that with MSD and co. in the IPL."

The declaration could become a point of debate if Australia manage to score the remaining 174 runs.