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The Life Cycle of a Cult tends to be characterized by specific steps.

1. The Core Concept

A dominant personality or coaches propose an innovative concept pledging a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

Thus we find ourselves. Preparations are underway to storm the compound in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from within. One individual, naked, anxious, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body as a statement, has emerged from the field and is removed in secrecy towards an inconclusive loan stint in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when everything was fresh? The initial phase, of Bazball without brains.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders offer a reboot, hope for a future, support, success among a group united in belief in the philosophy.

How did it feel initially? Players celebrating enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players often say Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically 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’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, strong features, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and find him positioned in the field bare-chested holding a fish.

It’s the batsman often seen speaking publicly, resembling a cheerful animal smartly dressed, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the energy, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Growth phase. Unity enforced through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These principles are often illogical to prove commitment.

Does anyone else feel? The backlash, the fury, the disappointment post-defeat seems too strong, overdone. The batting collapsed in Perth, as is typical there. They were torn apart in the field in a short span as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the criticism, the frustration, the view of the sport as a failure. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be purged, flame-throwered, overwhelmed via traditional methods of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, out there celebrating achievements with a bashful smile similar to getting a nice new fishing rod. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

In truth, approaching from the second Test, we have now reached a critical juncture in the lifespan of this thing. They might succeed in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it appears we could be witnessing the final stage.

Ahead of this, a couple of points worth saying on the topic. Previously, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. There was outrage, which proved the point since it’s clear the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is should followers send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

What has happened lately are fascinating. Criticism of the approach has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged followers overseas cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, out there saying, hey, that thing you love and have developed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s not serious in the end old boy.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a group, a garden party, an insular community with a long history of tradition and mystery behind it. It has long been where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of the British, the pioneering brand. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been sealed up in this environment for years. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their past, creating another a bubble, a closed circle, but doing it this time with 15 cool guys and a leader who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Stay present. Confront risks. However much you change, things stay similar.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. How to define it? Creating a sense of freedom. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with