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The Journey of a Cult can be marked by clear stages.

1. The Core Concept

A dominant personality or leaders present a revolutionary approach pledging a solution for struggling players.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to confront the system overseas. Tensions are rising. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, vulnerable, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET displayed prominently as a symbol, has come staggering from the field and is removed with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the start, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of Bazball without brains.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects promise a reboot, optimism ahead, support, redemption among a group united in belief in the big idea.

How did it feel initially? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Ink. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Of course, The team often say it’s not a real term, which is funny since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

But we know what it is. It’s the player executing a stroke so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of Ben Stokes in his final form, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and notice he’s fielding at mid-off stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the batsman often seen to talk in press conferences, resembling a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the atmosphere, initially, was entirely positive.

3. A New Life

Building period. Togetherness strengthened via memorization of the cult’s slogans. These beliefs may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss feels overblown, overdone. The performance was poor during the match, as history shows. They were torn apart in the field for a couple of hours when tactics failed, outplayed by the batsman batting like England but better, responsive to the situation, a performer excelling with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the attacks, the rage, the perception of the team as a kind of abomination. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, flame-throwered, overwhelmed through sheer skill of the pace attack, the simple basics of Scott Boland, marking successes modestly as if receiving a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on anger towards critics.

The fact remains, approaching from the second Test, we have now reached a critical juncture in the journey of this thing. England could quite easily win in Brisbane with bold tactics. Probably, failure may follow. In case of defeat it appears we could be witnessing the death cult phase.

Before that happens, several aspects worth saying on the topic. Previously, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which demonstrated because everyone knows how to confirm lack of cult status is should followers react defensively denying scrutiny of the philosophy.

What has happened lately are fascinating. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated followers overseas missing out on play, similar to investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, exists the larger scene of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance towards the unconventional visitors, out there saying, the methods you value and have developed as part of your identity from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult as the game has its own culture. In fact, the team has long been exclusive, a circle, a garden party, a restricted environment with a long history of tradition and mystery defining it. Historically, this was a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been enclosed in this system for years. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their past, building another enclosure, a closed circle, but now with a modern squad and a mentor who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for the movement, to recognize its positives, which are significant. How to define it? Creating a sense of freedom. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with