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

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or leaders propose a new and transcendent idea offering a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to storm the compound down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. One individual, exposed, nervous, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body as a statement, has come staggering from the field and is being led away in secrecy towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you ever miss the early days, when everything was fresh? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Movement founders promise a new start, hope for a future, support, redemption among a group with shared faith in the method.

How did it feel back then? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Tattoos. Strength. Determination. Elite male wellness energy. Admittedly, The team will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so unconventional it defies description. It’s the thrill of Ben Stokes at his peak, a look that says: focused titan, strong features, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you almost imagine to notice and find him positioned in the field shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the batsman still being allowed to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the atmosphere, initially, was only good energy.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Cohesion maintained through repetition of mantras. These principles are often illogical as a loyalty check.

Does anyone else feel? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat seems too strong, overdone. The batting collapsed during the match, as history shows. They were savaged while bowling in a short span as plans unraveled, carved around by the batsman imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, a performer excelling with brilliance.

Now there is the attacks, the frustration, the view of the sport as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that England don’t just need to lose, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, flame-throwered, destroyed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the simple basics of the veteran, marking achievements humbly similar to getting a nice new fishing rod. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Problems arise due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, half a week out the next match, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the lifespan of this movement. England could quite easily win overseas through aggressive play. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it appears we really might be entering the decline.

Before that happens, a couple of points worth saying regarding this. More than two years ago, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, an piece was published labeling it a movement. There was outrage, which proved the point because everyone knows the best way of proving lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

What has happened lately are fascinating. Opposition to the style is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, angry English pundits, pictures of upset travelling fans disappointed by the short match, similar to people wanting fairness.

Conversely, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, your cherished traditions and have honed as one way of separating yourself from others, it’s just a joke in the end old boy.

This is the core issue. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a group, a private event, a restricted environment with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the colonial game of England, the pioneering brand. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been sealed up in this system since childhood. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their upbringing, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with 15 cool guys and a mentor who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Stay present. Run towards the danger. But no matter how fast and far you run, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for the movement, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with