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The Journey of a Cult can be characterized by specific steps.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or leaders propose a revolutionary approach offering a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment in Australia. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. A lone figure, naked, anxious, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET displayed prominently as a symbol, has come staggering through the lines and is being led away in secrecy for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the early days, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects guarantee a reboot, optimism ahead, camaraderie, success among a group united in belief in the method.

What did it represent at first? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Tattoos. Muscles. Focus. Confident masculinity. Of course, The squad insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s Harry Brook executing a stroke so depraved it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of the leader in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, strong features, untamed style, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and see him playing on the ground bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett still being allowed to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Development stage. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of mantras. These ideas may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The criticism, the fury, the disappointment following the initial loss feels overblown, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as history shows. They were savaged defensively for a couple of hours when tactics failed, carved around by the opponent batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with aura.

And now we have this the attacks, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The feeling seems to be that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be purged, obliterated, overwhelmed through sheer skill of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the simple basics of Scott Boland, out there celebrating successes with a bashful smile as if receiving a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Issues emerge because of mistakes. However, faults are ignored. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

Ultimately, half a week out the upcoming game, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the lifespan of this approach. Victory is possible in the next Test with bold tactics. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it seems we may see the decline.

Before that happens, several aspects worth saying about this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, an piece was published labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which demonstrated as it’s known a method to show that it’s not a closed group is when its acolytes respond with anger denying scrutiny of the beliefs.

Recent events recently are equally notable. Opposition to the style has now become the cult. We have a uniformly angry internet, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, reminiscent of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the host’s complex deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, the methods you value and have developed as one way of separating yourself from the opposition, it’s not serious after all.

Here lies the truth. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a circle, an elite gathering, a closed world with centuries of ceremonial past behind it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the imperial sport of England, the original sports washers. And guess what, the country is a phenomenon, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a royal family remains.

The team have been sealed up in this system for years. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their own experience, creating another a bubble, a closed circle, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. Despite efforts, things stay similar.

With this mind, now is the time to offer compassion for the approach, to appreciate its good points, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with