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

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or coaches introduce a revolutionary approach offering a solution for struggling players.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to confront the system down in Brisbane. Pressure is mounting. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. One individual, exposed, nervous, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has stumbled from the field and is removed with discretion for a temporary assignment at Derbyshire.

Remember the beginning, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Cult leaders offer a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, love, success among a group united in belief in the method.

What was this thing initially? A team united enjoying success. Tattoos. Forearms. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players insist it’s not a real term, amusingly since it’s not recognized, what exactly did I just watch?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in ultimate mode, a demeanor suggesting: focused titan, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you almost imagine to notice and notice he’s fielding at mid-off bare-chested embracing nature.

It’s the opener often seen addressing the media, resembling a cheerful animal smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Unity enforced by rote learning of mantras. These principles can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The backlash, the fury, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, too much. The batting collapsed on the field, as is typical there. They were dominated defensively during a brief period as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adjusting to the pitch, a performer excelling with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the criticism, the anger, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, flame-throwered, overwhelmed through sheer skill of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, out there celebrating successes with a bashful smile as if receiving a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface because of mistakes. Yet, mistakes are denied. It turns to anger towards critics.

The fact remains, half a week out the next match, we are at an intriguing moment in the journey of this movement. Victory is possible in Brisbane with bold tactics. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it seems we may see the death cult phase.

Before that happens, several aspects worth saying about this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of passion and hope, an piece was published suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which proved the point since it’s clear a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is should followers send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of the philosophy.

Recent events lately are fascinating. Opposition to the style has turned into a movement. Online outrage is widespread, angry English pundits, pictures of upset supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed deep-seated frustration with the aggressive tourists, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have honed as part of your identity from the opposition, it’s not serious in the end old boy.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. Or at least, the sport in England is closed, a group, a garden party, a restricted environment with centuries of tradition and mystery defining it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the British, the early image-makers. And guess what, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a royal family remains.

The team have been isolated within this world since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their upbringing, building another enclosure, a limited community, however with a new team and a leader who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. However much you change, things stay similar.

With this mind, it might be appropriate to offer compassion for the approach, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with