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The Life Cycle of a Cult can be defined by distinct phases.

1. The Grand Vision

A dominant personality or leaders introduce a revolutionary approach that promises a panacea for struggling players.

And so it goes. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from within. An isolated player, exposed, nervous, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT written on his body as a statement, has stumbled into view and is being led away with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Remember the early days, when the world was still young? The era of early Bazball, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders offer a fresh beginning, a brighter tomorrow, support, salvation among a group who all believe in the big idea.

How did it feel initially? Players celebrating enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Focus. Peak performance vibes. Admittedly, The team often say it’s not a real term, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: focused titan, beard made of wood, untamed style, so authentically Modern Savage you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and find him positioned on the ground shirtless and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we’re breaking down traditions. Indeed, the atmosphere, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. A New Life

Building period. Cohesion maintained via memorization of key phrases. These beliefs can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Am I alone? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, too much. England batted badly during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were torn apart while bowling during a brief period when tactics failed, carved around by the batsman imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the pile-on, the frustration, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that defeat must be total, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, destroyed, destroyed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of the bowler, seen enjoying his wickets with a bashful smile as if receiving a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge because of mistakes. However, faults are ignored. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

The fact remains, a few days before the upcoming game, we are at a critical juncture in the journey of this thing. England could quite easily win overseas in a blur of adrenal disruption. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it seems we really might be entering the decline.

Ahead of this, a couple of points to note regarding this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of light and heat, a column appeared suggesting Bazball was a cult. People were very angry, which was helpful as it’s known how to confirm something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes react defensively rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

The developments recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, shots of angry middle-aged followers overseas missing out on play, similar to people wanting fairness.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, the methods you value and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag ultimately.

And this is the real point. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a group, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with a long history of ceremonial past behind it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

England’s cricketers have been isolated within this world since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their own experience, creating another a bubble, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys and a mentor who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with