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The Life Cycle of a Phenomenon tends to be marked by specific steps.

1. The Grand Vision

A charismatic leader or leaders introduce an innovative concept offering a panacea for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. They’re getting ready to challenge the establishment overseas. Tensions are rising. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. One individual, exposed, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT written on his body as a statement, has emerged from the field and is removed with discretion to a different team in county cricket.

Do you recall the beginning, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of Bazball without brains.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Team architects offer a fresh beginning, hope for a future, camaraderie, redemption within a community who all believe in the philosophy.

How did it feel at first? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Ink. Muscles. Focus. Confident masculinity. Of course, The squad will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s Harry Brook playing a shot so depraved it defies description. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: focused titan, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you half-expect to look down and see him playing on the ground stripped to the waist holding a fish.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission speaking publicly, appearing as a cheerful animal smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Indeed, the energy, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These ideas may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Am I alone? The criticism, the outrage, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss seems too strong, too much. The batting collapsed during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were torn apart defensively in a short span when tactics failed, manipulated by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with aura.

Currently, we see the attacks, the frustration, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, flame-throwered, defeated via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, seen enjoying achievements humbly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Issues emerge due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

Ultimately, half a week out the upcoming game, we are at a critical juncture in the lifespan of this thing. Victory is possible in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it feels like we really might be entering the final stage.

Before that happens, there are two things worth saying regarding this. In the past, at the start, of light and heat, an piece was published suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful as it’s known the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is if supporters respond with anger rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

The developments in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, similar to people wanting fairness.

Conversely, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, the methods you value and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend as the game has its own culture. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a circle, an elite gathering, an insular community with a long history of ceremonial past defining it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the original sports washers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been enclosed in this environment for years. Attempting to break free, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their upbringing, building another enclosure, a limited community, but doing it this time with 15 cool guys and a coach who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Embrace challenges. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

Reflecting on this, it might be appropriate to offer compassion for the approach, to appreciate its good points, which are significant. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with