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The Life Cycle of a Cult can be marked by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or leaders introduce a new and transcendent idea pledging a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Plans are in motion to storm the compound overseas. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. One individual, vulnerable, nervous, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has stumbled into view and is taken aside in secrecy towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you recall the early days, when the world was still young? The era of early Bazball, of pure instinct.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders guarantee a reboot, optimism ahead, love, salvation within a community with shared faith in the big idea.

What did it represent back then? Players celebrating feeling good. Ink. Muscles. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Of course, The squad insist they don’t use the label, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the player executing a stroke so outrageous it has to be pixelated. It’s the thrill of Ben Stokes at his peak, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, natural look, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to glance over and see him playing at mid-off stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman often seen speaking publicly, resembling a cheerful animal formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the energy, for quite a long time, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Growth phase. Togetherness strengthened via memorization of mantras. These ideas can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The backlash, the anger, the feeling of letdown post-defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. The batting collapsed in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated in the field during a brief period as plans unraveled, manipulated by the batsman imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, a man playing with brilliance.

Currently, we see the pile-on, the anger, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be purged, destroyed, overwhelmed through sheer skill of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the simple basics of Scott Boland, marking successes humbly similar to getting a pleasant gift. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It turns to hostility externally.

In truth, approaching from the second Test, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the story of this movement. England could quite easily win overseas in a blur of adrenal disruption. Alternatively, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it appears we really might be entering the final stage.

Before that happens, there are two things to note regarding this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, a column appeared calling it a phenomenon. People were very angry, which was helpful as it’s known a method to show that it’s not a closed group is should followers respond with anger rejecting criticism of its truths.

The developments lately is just as interesting. Opposition to the style has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, angry English pundits, images of frustrated supporters abroad missing out on play, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, out there saying, hey, that thing you love and have honed to distinguish yourselves culturally from us, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with two hundred years of tradition and mystery supporting it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been isolated within this world since childhood. Seeking change, to build a better atmosphere, they are mirroring their past, building another enclosure, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys and a coach who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. However much you change, you’re always basically in the same place.

With this mind, it is perhaps the moment to show understanding for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with