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

1. The Core Concept

An inspiring figure or figureheads propose a new and transcendent idea pledging a cure for struggling players.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to storm the compound overseas. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. One individual, naked, nervous, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body in chicken blood, has emerged from the field and is removed in secrecy for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the start, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of Bazball without brains.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects offer a new start, optimism ahead, support, salvation within a community who all believe in the big idea.

What was this thing initially? A team united enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

However, everyone understands what it is. It’s the batsman playing a shot so unconventional it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, genuinely raw you half-expect to notice and find him positioned on the ground stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission speaking publicly, resembling a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. Indeed, the energy, for quite a long time, was only good energy.

3. The Growth Phase

Development stage. Cohesion maintained through repetition of mantras. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The criticism, the fury, the feeling of letdown post-defeat appears excessive, overdone. The batting collapsed in Perth, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated in the field in a short span when tactics failed, manipulated by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, a man playing with aura.

And now we have this the criticism, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be scoured, obliterated, destroyed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the simple basics of the veteran, marking his wickets with a bashful smile similar to getting a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. External Conflict

Issues emerge from failures in the plan. Yet, mistakes are denied. It turns to hatred of the outside world.

In truth, approaching from the second Test, we are at a critical juncture in the journey of this approach. They might succeed in Brisbane in a blur of adrenal disruption. Probably, failure may follow. In case of defeat it feels like we could be witnessing the death cult phase.

Ahead of this, a couple of points worth saying regarding this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of passion and hope, a column appeared calling it a phenomenon. People were very angry, which proved the point since it’s clear how to confirm lack of cult status is should followers send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

The developments recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated followers overseas cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, exists the larger scene of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation with the aggressive tourists, claiming, your cherished traditions and have developed as part of your identity from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag ultimately.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, an elite gathering, a closed world with centuries of ceremonial past behind it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of the nation, the pioneering brand. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been enclosed in this environment for years. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their upbringing, forming a new circle, a closed circle, but doing it this time with 15 cool guys and a mentor encouraging individuality provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. But no matter how fast and far you run, you remain stuck.

With this mind, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with