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The Journey of a Cult tends to be marked by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or coaches introduce a new and transcendent idea offering a cure for struggling players.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to confront the system down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from the sidelines. A lone figure, vulnerable, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT written on his body in chicken blood, has come staggering into view and is removed with discretion to a different team at Derbyshire.

Do you recall the beginning, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects guarantee a fresh beginning, hope for a future, support, success together with shared faith in the method.

What was this thing back then? A team united basking in glory. Body art. Forearms. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The team will claim it’s not a real term, ironically as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know its essence. It’s the batsman playing a shot so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of the captain at his peak, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, strong features, natural look, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and find him positioned at mid-off stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman still being allowed addressing the media, appearing as a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the vibe, for quite a long time, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Building period. Unity enforced via memorization of mantras. These beliefs may seem irrational to prove commitment.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the outrage, the disappointment post-defeat appears excessive, overdone. The batting collapsed during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged while bowling during a brief period as plans unraveled, manipulated by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the criticism, the anger, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be purged, destroyed, destroyed through sheer skill of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking achievements modestly like he’s just been given a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

In truth, approaching the upcoming game, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the journey of this approach. England could quite easily win in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it appears we could be witnessing the decline.

Prior to that, 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 react defensively denying scrutiny of the philosophy.

Recent events in the last few days are equally notable. Opposition to the style has turned into a movement. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of people wanting fairness.

Conversely, exists the larger scene of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag ultimately.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with two hundred years of tradition and mystery defining it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the imperial sport of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been enclosed in this environment from a young age. Seeking change, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their past, forming a new circle, a limited community, however with a modern squad and a coach encouraging individuality provided you conform.

Stay present. Run towards the danger. However much you change, things stay similar.

Considering this, now is the time to show understanding for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with