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

1. The Big Idea

An inspiring figure or figureheads present a revolutionary approach offering a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to confront the system overseas. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, naked, anxious, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has come staggering into view and is being led away with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint elsewhere.

Remember the start, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Team architects guarantee a reboot, optimism ahead, camaraderie, success together with shared faith in the method.

How did it feel at first? A team united basking in glory. Ink. Muscles. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the batsman attempting a move so unconventional it defies description. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes at his peak, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, genuinely raw you almost imagine to glance over and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, resembling a joyful figure formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the energy, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. The Growth Phase

Development stage. Unity enforced by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The reaction, the anger, the disappointment post-defeat appears excessive, too much. England batted badly in Perth, as history shows. They were torn apart defensively during a brief period when tactics failed, manipulated by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with brilliance.

Currently, we see the attacks, the frustration, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The feeling seems to be that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be scoured, obliterated, destroyed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of the bowler, out there celebrating achievements modestly like he’s just been given a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Issues emerge because of mistakes. However, faults are ignored. It turns to hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, half a week out from the second Test, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this movement. They might succeed in the next Test with bold tactics. Alternatively, failure may follow. Should they fail it feels like we really might be entering the final stage.

Before that happens, there are two things worth saying on the topic. Previously, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. People were very angry, which demonstrated because everyone knows the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

What has happened in the last few days are fascinating. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, images of frustrated travelling fans missing out on play, like a room full of people wanting fairness.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, out there saying, the methods you value and have developed to distinguish yourselves from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag ultimately.

And this is the real point. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a group, a private event, a restricted environment with centuries of tradition and mystery behind it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of England, the original sports washers. And guess what, the country is a phenomenon, a system of unknown levels, a royal family remains.

The team have been isolated in this environment from a young age. Attempting to break free, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their own experience, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with a modern squad and a coach encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. But no matter how fast and far you run, things stay similar.

Considering this, now is the time to show understanding for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What does it represent? Creating a sense of freedom. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with