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The Life Cycle of a Movement can be marked by specific steps.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or coaches introduce an innovative concept offering a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to confront the system overseas. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, vulnerable, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET displayed prominently as a symbol, has stumbled into view and is removed under a blanket to a different team elsewhere.

Remember the early days, when the world was still young? The initial phase, of Bazball without brains.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders guarantee a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, support, success among a group with shared faith in the method.

What did it represent back then? A team united enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Jawlines. Elite male wellness energy. Of course, The team often say it’s not a real term, which is funny since it’s not recognized, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of the leader in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, appearing as a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the energy, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Unity enforced by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Am I alone? The backlash, the anger, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss feels overblown, overdone. England batted badly in Perth, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated while bowling for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a man playing with aura.

Now there is the attacks, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, destroyed, defeated by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking his wickets humbly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hostility externally.

Ultimately, a few days before the next match, we are at a critical juncture in the journey of this approach. England could quite easily win in Brisbane in a blur of adrenal disruption. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it appears we could be witnessing the decline.

Ahead of this, a couple of points worth saying regarding this. More than two years ago, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. There was outrage, which proved the point as it’s known the best way of proving lack of cult status is should followers react defensively objecting to the questioning of its truths.

What has happened in the last few days is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach has now become the cult. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, images of frustrated supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have honed as one way of separating yourself from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a circle, an elite gathering, an insular community with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history supporting it. Historically, this was a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of England, the early image-makers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been sealed up in this system from a young age. Attempting to break free, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their past, forming a new circle, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys and a coach promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you’re always basically in the same place.

Considering this, it might be appropriate to offer compassion for Bazball, to recognize its positives, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with