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The Life Cycle of a Cult tends to be characterized by distinct phases.

1. The Grand Vision

A dominant personality or coaches introduce a revolutionary approach offering a cure for struggling players.

Thus we find ourselves. They’re getting ready to confront the system in Australia. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from the sidelines. One individual, exposed, shivering, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has emerged into view and is removed with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint in county cricket.

Do you recall the early days, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders guarantee a new start, a brighter tomorrow, camaraderie, success together with shared faith in the method.

What was this thing initially? Players celebrating feeling good. Body art. Forearms. Focus. Elite male wellness energy. Admittedly, The team insist they don’t use the label, amusingly as it’s denied, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s the player executing a stroke so unconventional it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of the captain in ultimate mode, a look that says: focused titan, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, so authentically Modern Savage you half-expect to notice and find him positioned in the field shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the batsman still being allowed speaking publicly, appearing as a cheerful animal smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the energy, initially, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Togetherness strengthened via memorization of key phrases. These ideas are often illogical as a test of “true belief”.

Am I alone? The backlash, the anger, the disappointment post-defeat seems too strong, too much. England batted badly on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged defensively during a brief period as plans unraveled, manipulated by the batsman batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the pile-on, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they need to lose righteously, to be cleansed, obliterated, defeated via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, out there celebrating his wickets modestly as if receiving a nice new fishing rod. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Problems arise because of mistakes. Yet, mistakes are denied. It begins to thrive on hatred of the outside world.

In truth, a few days before the upcoming game, we’ve entered an intriguing moment in the story of this movement. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it seems we may see the death cult phase.

Before that happens, a couple of points to note on the topic. Previously, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear a method to show lack of cult status is when its acolytes respond with anger rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

Recent events lately are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, shots of angry middle-aged followers overseas disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, exists the larger scene of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured as one way of separating yourself from the opposition, it’s just a joke after all.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a garden party, a closed world with a long history of ceremonial past supporting it. It has long been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the original sports washers. And surprisingly, the nation has its own culture, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been sealed up within this world from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their past, forming a new circle, a closed circle, however with a modern squad and a coach promoting authenticity if you fit the mold.

Focus on the moment. Confront risks. Despite efforts, you remain stuck.

With this mind, now is the time to show understanding for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with