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

1. The Big Idea

A dominant personality or coaches introduce a new and transcendent idea that promises a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to challenge the establishment down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, naked, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT written on his body in chicken blood, has emerged from the field and is removed under a blanket to a different team in county cricket.

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

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects offer a reboot, optimism ahead, support, redemption among a group who all believe in the big idea.

What did it represent at first? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players insist they don’t use the label, amusingly since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

But we know the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of the captain in his final form, a look that says: focused titan, beard made of wood, untamed style, truly contemporary you almost imagine to look down and notice he’s fielding in the field stripped to the waist holding a fish.

It’s the opener continuing to have permission addressing the media, resembling a happy little woodland creature formally attired, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the atmosphere, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Togetherness strengthened by rote learning of key phrases. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Does anyone else feel? The reaction, the outrage, the feeling of letdown following the initial loss appears excessive, unwarranted. The batting collapsed on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated defensively for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, carved around by the opponent playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with brilliance.

And now we have this the criticism, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a kind of abomination. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, destroyed, overwhelmed through sheer skill of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the conventional tactics of the veteran, out there celebrating his wickets with a bashful smile like he’s just been given a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

Ultimately, a few days before from the second Test, we’ve entered a critical juncture in the story of this movement. Victory is possible in Brisbane with bold tactics. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it feels like we may see the decline.

Prior to that, a couple of points worth saying regarding this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of optimism and energy, an piece was published labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which proved the point as it’s known a method to show lack of cult status is if supporters respond with anger rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

Recent events lately are equally notable. Opposition to the style is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, images of frustrated travelling fans disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of people wanting fairness.

Conversely, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, the methods you value and have honed as part of your identity from others, it’s just a joke after all.

And this is the real point. All movements are similar. The style was a trend as the game has its own culture. Or at least, English cricket has always been a cult, a circle, an elite gathering, an insular community with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history defining it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of England, the original sports washers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been isolated in this system since childhood. Attempting to break free, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their upbringing, forming a new circle, a closed circle, however with a new team and a leader promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Stay present. Confront risks. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

Considering this, now is the time to offer compassion for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. How to define it? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with