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The Journey of a Cult is often defined by clear stages.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or figureheads introduce a new and transcendent idea that promises a cure for struggling players.

And so it goes. Plans are in motion to storm the compound down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. One individual, vulnerable, anxious, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest as a statement, has stumbled through the lines and is being led away with discretion towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

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

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects promise a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, support, redemption among a group united in belief in the method.

What was this thing back then? A team united enjoying success. Tattoos. Forearms. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players will claim it’s not a real term, ironically since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

But we know the concept. It’s Harry Brook executing a stroke so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of the leader at his peak, a look that says: focused titan, strong features, untamed style, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and see him playing at mid-off shirtless and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Cohesion maintained via memorization of mantras. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat seems too strong, too much. England batted badly during the match, as history shows. They were torn apart while bowling during a brief period as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, outplayed by the opponent imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a man playing 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 disgrace. The feeling seems to be that losing isn’t enough, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, obliterated, destroyed by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the simple basics of Scott Boland, out there celebrating his wickets with a bashful smile as if receiving a nice new fishing rod. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It turns to hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we’ve entered an intriguing moment in the story of this thing. England could quite easily win overseas with bold tactics. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it seems we may see the death cult phase.

Before that happens, a couple of points worth saying regarding this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. People were very angry, which was helpful as it’s known a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters react defensively denying scrutiny of its truths.

Recent events lately is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, images of frustrated supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, exists the larger scene of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have honed to distinguish yourselves from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag in the end old boy.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend because cricket is a cult. Or at least, English cricket has always been a cult, a circle, a private event, a restricted environment with centuries of tradition and mystery behind it. It has long been where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of the nation, the early image-makers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

England’s cricketers have been isolated in this environment since childhood. Seeking change, to build a better atmosphere, they are just repeating their past, building another enclosure, a limited community, however with a new team and a leader promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Considering this, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for the movement, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with