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The Life Cycle of a Cult can be defined by specific steps.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or leaders present a new and transcendent idea offering a panacea for struggling players.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to confront the system overseas. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, vulnerable, nervous, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has emerged from the field and is taken aside in secrecy towards an inconclusive loan stint elsewhere.

Remember the beginning, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders offer a reboot, hope for a future, camaraderie, salvation together with shared faith in the big idea.

How did it feel back then? Players celebrating enjoying success. Body art. Muscles. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The squad insist they don’t use the label, which is funny as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

However, everyone understands the concept. It’s Harry Brook playing a shot so outrageous it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes at his peak, a look that says: focused titan, rugged appearance, untamed style, so authentically Modern Savage you almost imagine to glance over and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless embracing nature.

It’s the opener still being allowed to talk in press conferences, resembling a happy little woodland creature formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re breaking down traditions. Indeed, the atmosphere, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Cohesion maintained via memorization of key phrases. These principles are often illogical to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The criticism, the outrage, the disappointment post-defeat appears excessive, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as is typical there. They were savaged defensively for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, outplayed by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with brilliance.

And now we have this the criticism, the anger, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, destroyed, defeated via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of the bowler, out there celebrating achievements humbly similar to getting a nice new fishing rod. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It begins to thrive on anger towards critics.

Ultimately, half a week out from the second Test, we are at an intriguing moment in the journey of this movement. England could quite easily win in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. Should they fail it seems we may see the final stage.

Before that happens, a couple of points to consider on the topic. In the past, at the start, of optimism and energy, an piece was published suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which proved the point since it’s clear a method to show that it’s not a closed group is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of the philosophy.

What has happened in the last few days are fascinating. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged 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 more culturally hard-wired exasperation with the aggressive tourists, out there saying, the methods you value and have honed to distinguish yourselves from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. In fact, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, an elite gathering, an insular community with a long history of tradition and mystery behind it. This has always been where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of the nation, the pioneering brand. And surprisingly, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a royal family remains.

England’s cricketers have been isolated in this environment for years. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their own experience, building another enclosure, a limited community, but doing it this time with a modern squad and a leader who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. Despite efforts, things stay similar.

Considering this, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with