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The Journey of a Cult can be defined by clear stages.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or coaches propose an innovative concept pledging a panacea for disconnected individuals.

Thus we find ourselves. They’re getting ready to storm the compound overseas. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from within. An isolated player, exposed, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has come staggering through the lines and is being led away under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you recall the early days, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects offer a reboot, optimism ahead, love, salvation within a community united in belief in the big idea.

How did it feel back then? Just men on a balcony feeling good. Ink. Forearms. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Of course, England’s players will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the batsman attempting a move so outrageous it defies description. It’s the adrenaline of Ben Stokes in ultimate mode, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, untamed style, truly contemporary you almost imagine to glance over and notice he’s fielding at mid-off bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman still being allowed addressing the media, appearing as a happy little woodland creature formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the vibe, initially, was only good energy.

3. A New Life

Development stage. Unity enforced by rote learning of key phrases. These ideas may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Does anyone else feel? The reaction, the anger, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat appears excessive, too much. England batted badly in Perth, as history shows. They were savaged in the field for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, manipulated by the opponent batting like England but better, adaptive to conditions, a performer excelling with brilliance.

And now we have this the criticism, the anger, the view of the sport as a failure. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be scoured, flame-throwered, defeated via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, out there celebrating achievements modestly like he’s just been given a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge because of mistakes. However, faults are ignored. It begins to thrive on anger towards critics.

In truth, a few days before from the second Test, we’ve entered an intriguing moment in the journey of this thing. Victory is possible in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. Should they fail it appears we really might be entering the final stage.

Before that happens, a couple of points to consider regarding this. In the past, at the start, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. There was outrage, which proved the point as it’s known the best way of proving lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of its truths.

Recent events in the last few days is just as interesting. Opposition to the style is now the trend. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, pictures of upset travelling fans missing out on play, similar to people wanting fairness.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of the host’s complex deep-seated frustration towards the unconventional visitors, stating, hey, that thing you love and have fostered and nurtured as one way of separating yourself culturally from us, it’s not serious ultimately.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a group, an elite gathering, 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 British pastime of the British, the original sports washers. 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 within this world for years. Seeking change, to build a better atmosphere, they are mirroring their upbringing, building another enclosure, a limited community, but now with a modern squad and a mentor encouraging individuality if you fit the mold.

Stay present. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

With this mind, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for the movement, to appreciate its good points, which are significant. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with