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The Life Cycle of a Cult is often characterized by specific steps.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or coaches present a revolutionary approach offering a solution for disconnected individuals.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to storm the compound down in Brisbane. Pressure is mounting. Signs of trouble appear from the out-houses. A lone figure, vulnerable, shivering, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has emerged into view and is taken aside in secrecy to a different team elsewhere.

Do you recall the beginning, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders guarantee a new start, hope for a future, camaraderie, success within a community who all believe in the big idea.

What was this thing initially? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Tattoos. Strength. Determination. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, The team insist they don’t use the label, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what was that spectacle?

However, everyone understands the concept. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so outrageous it has to be pixelated. It’s the thrill of the captain in his final form, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, strong features, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you half-expect to notice and find him positioned in the field shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the batsman often seen to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. The Growth Phase

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

Does anyone else feel? The backlash, the anger, the disappointment post-defeat appears excessive, too much. The performance was poor in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated in the field in a short span as plans unraveled, manipulated by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, a man playing with brilliance.

Now there is the attacks, the rage, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they need to lose righteously, to be cleansed, flame-throwered, destroyed by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the simple basics of the veteran, marking his wickets modestly similar to getting a pleasant gift. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on hostility externally.

In truth, approaching the next match, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the story of this movement. England could quite easily win in Brisbane through aggressive play. Alternatively, failure may follow. Should they fail it seems we could be witnessing the decline.

Ahead of this, there are two things to consider about this. More than two years ago, at the start, of passion and hope, an piece was published labeling it a movement. People were very angry, which proved the point because everyone knows a method to show lack of cult status is should followers send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

Recent events recently is just as interesting. Opposition to the style is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated supporters abroad missing out on play, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, your cherished traditions and have developed to distinguish yourselves from others, it’s not serious ultimately.

And this is the real point. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend because cricket is a cult. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a group, a private event, a closed world with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history defining it. This has always been where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of England, the original sports washers. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been sealed up within this world for years. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, forming a new circle, a limited community, however with a modern squad and a leader encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

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

Considering this, now is the time to show understanding for Bazball, to appreciate its good points, that are numerous. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with