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The Journey of a Cult tends to be defined by distinct phases.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or figureheads present a revolutionary approach that promises a cure for struggling players.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to challenge the establishment overseas. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from within. A lone figure, exposed, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT displayed prominently as a statement, has come staggering from the field and is removed under a blanket to a different team at Derbyshire.

Do you ever miss the start, when the world was still young? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects guarantee a new start, hope for a future, support, salvation together with shared faith in the philosophy.

What did it represent back then? Players celebrating enjoying success. Body art. Strength. Jawlines. Elite male wellness energy. Admittedly, England’s players insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny since it’s not recognized, what exactly did I just watch?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so depraved it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of Ben Stokes at his peak, a look that says: thoughtful warrior, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you half-expect to glance over and find him positioned in the field bare-chested holding a fish.

It’s the batsman often seen speaking publicly, appearing as a happy little woodland creature in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the atmosphere, initially, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Development stage. Cohesion maintained through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These ideas are often illogical as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The backlash, the fury, the feeling of letdown post-defeat feels overblown, overdone. England batted badly on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated while bowling in a short span when tactics failed, manipulated by the batsman batting like England but better, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with brilliance.

Currently, we see the pile-on, the rage, the view of the sport as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that defeat must be total, they need to lose righteously, to be cleansed, obliterated, overwhelmed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, marking achievements humbly similar to getting a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Problems arise due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It turns to hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, a few days before the next match, we are at an intriguing moment in the story of this approach. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it appears we may see the final stage.

Before that happens, there are two things to consider on the topic. In the past, at the start, of light and heat, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful because everyone knows how to confirm that it’s not a closed group is should followers react defensively denying scrutiny of its truths.

Recent events recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad missing out on play, similar to investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed deep-seated frustration towards the unconventional visitors, claiming, the methods you value and have honed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s not serious in the end old boy.

And this is the real point. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, a garden party, a closed world with centuries of tradition and mystery supporting it. It has long been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the British, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a royal family remains.

The players have been sealed up within this world for years. In trying to escape from it, to build a better atmosphere, they are simply replicating their upbringing, forming a new circle, a closed circle, however with 15 cool guys and a coach promoting authenticity as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

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

With this mind, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with