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The Evolution of a Cult is often marked by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or leaders introduce an innovative concept that promises a cure for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. They’re getting ready to challenge the establishment in Australia. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. An isolated player, naked, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a symbol, has stumbled from the field and is taken aside in secrecy for a temporary assignment at Derbyshire.

Remember the beginning, when optimism reigned? The initial phase, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders promise a fresh beginning, optimism ahead, love, redemption among a group who all believe in the big idea.

How did it feel initially? A team united enjoying success. Body art. Muscles. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players will claim it’s not a real term, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

However, everyone understands what it is. It’s the batsman playing a shot so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of the captain in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you almost imagine to look down and find him positioned in the field stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal formally attired, expressing thoughts like we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the vibe, initially, was only good energy.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced through repetition of mantras. These principles are often illogical as a loyalty check.

Am I alone? The criticism, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat feels overblown, overdone. The performance was poor in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated in the field for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, manipulated by the opponent playing aggressively but smarter, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with brilliance.

Currently, we see the pile-on, the rage, the perception of the team as a failure. The opinion suggests that losing isn’t enough, they should be dismantled, to be purged, obliterated, overwhelmed through sheer skill of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, out there celebrating achievements modestly like he’s just been given a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. However, faults are ignored. It turns to anger towards critics.

In truth, half a week out the next match, we are at a critical juncture in the lifespan of this approach. England could quite easily win in Brisbane through aggressive play. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it seems we could be witnessing the final stage.

Before that happens, a couple of points to note on the topic. Previously, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which proved the point because everyone knows how to confirm lack of cult status is when its acolytes respond with anger denying scrutiny 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, images of frustrated followers overseas disappointed by the short match, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of the host’s complex deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity culturally from us, it’s just a joke ultimately.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history defining it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the imperial sport of the British, the pioneering brand. And guess what, the nation has its own culture, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a royal family remains.

The players have been sealed up within this world from a young age. Seeking change, to build a better atmosphere, they are just repeating their past, forming a new circle, a closed circle, however with a new team and a coach who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Embrace challenges. But no matter how fast and far you run, you’re always basically in the same place.

Considering this, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for the movement, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with