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

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or leaders propose an innovative concept that promises a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to confront the system down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Smoke is rising from within. One individual, vulnerable, anxious, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body as a statement, has come staggering through the lines and is being led away under a blanket to a different team in county cricket.

Remember the beginning, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects offer a fresh beginning, a brighter tomorrow, love, success within a community united in belief in the method.

What did it represent initially? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Ink. Forearms. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, The squad insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, which is funny as it’s denied, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the batsman attempting a move so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of the leader in his final form, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, so authentically Modern Savage you half-expect to look down and notice he’s fielding in the field bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the opener still being allowed speaking publicly, resembling a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. Indeed, the vibe, initially, was only good energy.

3. A New Life

Growth phase. Togetherness strengthened by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These beliefs can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The criticism, the fury, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss appears excessive, unwarranted. The performance was poor on the field, as history shows. They were savaged defensively during a brief period as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, outplayed by the batsman imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a man playing with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the pile-on, the frustration, the sense of English Test cricket as a kind of abomination. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, obliterated, overwhelmed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking his wickets humbly as if receiving a nice new fishing rod. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

Issues emerge due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

The fact remains, a few days before from the second Test, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the journey of this thing. They might succeed in the next Test with bold tactics. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it feels like we may see the decline.

Before that happens, several aspects to note regarding this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. There was outrage, which was helpful as it’s known how to confirm lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

What has happened recently are equally notable. Opposition to the style has now become the cult. Social media is furious, critical analysts, pictures of upset travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, exists the larger scene of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation towards the unconventional visitors, stating, the methods you value and have honed to distinguish yourselves from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag in the end old boy.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. The style was a trend because cricket is a cult. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a group, a private event, a closed world with two hundred years of ceremonial past behind it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the early image-makers. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a structure of hidden ranks, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been enclosed in this environment since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to build a better atmosphere, they are simply replicating their own experience, creating another a bubble, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. But no matter how fast and far you run, things stay similar.

Reflecting on this, it might be appropriate to show understanding for Bazball, to appreciate its good points, which are significant. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with