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The Journey of a Cult tends to be characterized by clear stages.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or figureheads propose a new and transcendent idea that promises a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to challenge the establishment overseas. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. A lone figure, exposed, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has stumbled from the field and is taken aside with discretion to a different team at Derbyshire.

Remember the start, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of Bazball without brains.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects offer a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, camaraderie, redemption together with shared faith in the big idea.

What did it represent at first? Players celebrating basking in glory. Ink. Strength. Focus. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, England’s players often say Bazball doesn’t actually exist, amusingly since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

But we know the concept. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the thrill of Ben Stokes at his peak, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, hair woven from beaver hide, so authentically Modern Savage you half-expect to look down and see him playing on the ground stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the opener often seen addressing the media, resembling a happy little woodland creature in a waistcoat, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. Certainly, the vibe, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Growth phase. Cohesion maintained by rote learning of mantras. These beliefs are often illogical as a loyalty check.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat appears excessive, overdone. The batting collapsed in Perth, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged defensively in a short span when tactics failed, carved around by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, a man playing with brilliance.

Now there is the attacks, the anger, 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 scoured, destroyed, overwhelmed by the vengeful purity of the bowler’s action, the simple basics of the veteran, marking achievements with a bashful smile like he’s just been given a nice new fishing rod. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface because of mistakes. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

The fact remains, half a week out the next match, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the journey of this thing. England could quite easily win in Brisbane with bold tactics. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it feels like we may see the decline.

Prior to that, several aspects to note regarding this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of optimism and energy, an piece was published labeling it a movement. There was outrage, which proved the point as it’s known the best way of proving lack of cult status is should followers respond with anger rejecting criticism of its truths.

The developments in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, pictures of upset followers overseas missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, exists the larger scene of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have honed as part of your identity culturally from us, well, it’s all a bit of a gag in the end old boy.

Here lies the truth. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. In fact, the team has long been exclusive, a group, a private event, a restricted environment with centuries of tradition and mystery behind it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the British, the pioneering brand. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been enclosed in this environment from a young age. Attempting to break free, to build a better atmosphere, they are just repeating their own experience, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to offer compassion for Bazball, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with