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The Life Cycle of a Movement can be marked by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

A charismatic leader or figureheads propose a revolutionary approach offering a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to confront the system in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. One individual, vulnerable, nervous, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has stumbled through the lines and is removed under a blanket to a different team in county cricket.

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

2. Love-Bombing

Cult leaders guarantee a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, camaraderie, redemption within a community who all believe in the method.

How did it feel back then? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Body art. Strength. Determination. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The squad insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

But we know what it is. It’s the batsman playing a shot so unconventional it defies description. It’s the excitement of the leader in ultimate mode, a look that says: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and find him positioned in the field stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the batsman often seen to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a joyful figure smartly dressed, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the energy, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Cohesion maintained via memorization of the cult’s slogans. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal post-defeat seems too strong, unwarranted. England batted badly on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated defensively during a brief period as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, a performer excelling with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the pile-on, the frustration, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be scoured, flame-throwered, defeated by the vengeful purity of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of the bowler, marking his wickets humbly like he’s just been given a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. External Conflict

Challenges surface because of mistakes. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

In truth, a few days before the upcoming game, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the story of this movement. Victory is possible in the next Test with bold tactics. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it seems we could be witnessing the decline.

Prior to that, a couple of points worth saying about this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear the best way of proving lack of cult status is if supporters respond with anger objecting to the questioning of the philosophy.

What has happened lately is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of the host’s complex more culturally hard-wired exasperation towards the unconventional visitors, claiming, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

And this is the real point. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult since the sport itself is insular. In fact, the team has long been exclusive, a group, a private event, a closed world with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history supporting it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the British, the pioneering brand. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been enclosed in this system for years. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, building another enclosure, a closed circle, but doing it this time with a modern squad and a mentor who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to show understanding for Bazball, to recognize its positives, which are significant. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with