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The Journey of a Cult is often marked by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or leaders propose an innovative concept that promises a solution for struggling players.

Thus we find ourselves. They’re getting ready to confront the system overseas. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, vulnerable, nervous, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT written on his body as a statement, has emerged through the lines and is taken aside under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Remember the beginning, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders promise a fresh beginning, hope for a future, love, redemption within a community with shared faith in the big idea.

What was this thing at first? A team united feeling good. Tattoos. Strength. Jawlines. Elite male wellness energy. Oh sure, England’s players often say Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the leader in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and see him playing on the ground shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the opener still being allowed speaking publicly, resembling a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. Indeed, the vibe, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Development stage. Togetherness strengthened by rote learning of mantras. These principles are often illogical as a loyalty check.

Am I alone? The criticism, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat feels overblown, too much. The performance was poor on the field, as is typical there. They were torn apart while bowling for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, manipulated by the opponent batting like England but better, responsive to the situation, a man playing with a kind of light around him.

Currently, we see the attacks, the rage, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, destroyed, defeated by the vengeful purity of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the conventional tactics of Scott Boland, out there celebrating successes modestly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge because of mistakes. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, approaching the next match, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this thing. They might succeed in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it seems we may see the death cult phase.

Ahead of this, a couple of points worth saying on the topic. In the past, back in those heady early days, of optimism and energy, an piece was published suggesting Bazball was a cult. People were very angry, which demonstrated as it’s known how to confirm something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters respond with anger objecting to the questioning of its truths.

What has happened lately is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced ingrained annoyance with the aggressive tourists, out there saying, the methods you value and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity from others, it’s not serious in the end old boy.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend as the game has its own culture. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a garden party, a closed world with two hundred years of ceremonial past supporting it. It has long been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the imperial sport of the British, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, the country is a phenomenon, a system of unknown levels, a royal family remains.

The players have been enclosed in this environment from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, creating another a bubble, an exclusive group, but doing it this time with a modern squad and a coach promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to offer compassion for the movement, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with