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

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or figureheads propose an innovative concept offering a solution for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to storm the compound down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. One individual, vulnerable, nervous, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body as a symbol, has emerged from the field and is being led away under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when the world was still young? The initial phase, of Bazball without brains.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects promise a new start, a brighter tomorrow, support, success among a group with shared faith in the method.

What was this thing back then? Players celebrating enjoying success. Tattoos. Strength. Determination. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, England’s players will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny as it’s denied, what did we see?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the batsman attempting a move so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the thrill of the captain at his peak, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to glance over and find him positioned on the ground stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s Ben Duckett often seen to talk in press conferences, resembling a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the atmosphere, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of mantras. These beliefs can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The reaction, the fury, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat appears excessive, unwarranted. The performance was poor on the field, as history shows. They were savaged while bowling for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, a performer excelling with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the attacks, the rage, the perception of the team as a failure. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, obliterated, destroyed via traditional methods of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the simple basics of Scott Boland, marking successes with a bashful smile similar to getting a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

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

The fact remains, approaching the next match, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this movement. Victory is possible in the next Test with bold tactics. More likely, failure may follow. Should they fail it feels like we may see the final stage.

Before that happens, there are two things to consider about this. In the past, during the initial excitement, of light and heat, an piece was published calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which proved the point because everyone knows a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters react defensively objecting to the questioning of its truths.

Recent events in the last few days are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, pictures of upset followers overseas missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have developed to distinguish yourselves culturally from us, it’s not serious ultimately.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend because cricket is a cult. Or at least, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a private event, an insular community with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. It has long been where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of England, the original sports washers. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been isolated in this environment since childhood. Attempting to break free, to build a better atmosphere, they are just repeating their own experience, building another enclosure, a limited community, however with a modern squad and a leader who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. But no matter how fast and far you run, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to offer compassion for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with