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The Journey of a Cult is often marked by specific steps.

1. The Grand Vision

A dominant personality or leaders introduce a new and transcendent idea offering a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to confront the system down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Smoke is rising from within. A lone figure, vulnerable, nervous, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently as a statement, has emerged through the lines and is removed with discretion to a different team at Derbyshire.

Remember the early days, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of pure instinct.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Movement founders offer a reboot, hope for a future, camaraderie, redemption together who all believe in the big idea.

What was this thing back then? Players celebrating basking in glory. Tattoos. Forearms. Focus. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, The team insist they don’t use the label, amusingly since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

However, everyone understands the concept. It’s the batsman playing a shot so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and see him playing on the ground bare-chested embracing nature.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a cheerful animal formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the atmosphere, initially, was entirely positive.

3. The Growth Phase

Development stage. Cohesion maintained via memorization of key phrases. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The reaction, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat seems too strong, overdone. England batted badly in Perth, as history shows. They were dominated while bowling during a brief period as plans unraveled, manipulated by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with aura.

Currently, we see the criticism, the anger, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that losing isn’t enough, they should be dismantled, to be scoured, destroyed, overwhelmed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, out there celebrating successes modestly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

Problems arise due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It turns to anger towards critics.

In truth, approaching the upcoming game, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the journey of this approach. They might succeed overseas through aggressive play. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it seems we may see the decline.

Before that happens, there are two things worth saying about this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, a column appeared calling it a phenomenon. People were very angry, which was helpful because everyone knows the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages denying scrutiny of its truths.

What has happened in the last few days are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, similar to people wanting fairness.

Meanwhile, exists the larger scene of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, your cherished traditions and have developed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s not serious ultimately.

Here lies the truth. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult 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 two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been enclosed in this environment for years. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, forming a new circle, an exclusive group, however with a new team and a mentor encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Stay present. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to recognize its positives, which are significant. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with