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The Evolution of a Movement tends to be defined by distinct phases.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or leaders introduce an innovative concept pledging a cure for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to storm the compound in Australia. Tensions are rising. Smoke is rising from the sidelines. One individual, naked, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body in chicken blood, has come staggering through the lines and is taken aside under a blanket for a temporary assignment in county cricket.

Do you recall the early days, when the world was still young? The initial phase, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Movement founders guarantee a fresh beginning, a brighter tomorrow, camaraderie, salvation within a community united in belief in the big idea.

What was this thing at first? Players celebrating basking in glory. Body art. Strength. Determination. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, The team insist it’s not a real term, which is funny as it’s denied, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the player attempting a move so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of Ben Stokes at his peak, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, so authentically Modern Savage you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and find him positioned in the field stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the opener continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a happy little woodland creature in a waistcoat, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. Indeed, the energy, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Growth phase. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These principles can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The backlash, the outrage, the disappointment post-defeat appears excessive, overdone. The batting collapsed during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were torn apart while bowling in a short span as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with aura.

Now there is the pile-on, the anger, the view of the sport as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, obliterated, defeated through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, seen enjoying achievements humbly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. External Conflict

Problems arise from failures in the plan. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this thing. They might succeed in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it appears we may see the final stage.

Ahead of this, a couple of points to note regarding this. More than two years ago, during the initial excitement, of passion and hope, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful because everyone knows the best way of proving lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

What has happened recently are fascinating. Opposition to the style has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, your cherished traditions and have developed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, it’s just a joke after all.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a group, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with two hundred years of tradition and mystery defining it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of England, the pioneering brand. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a royal family remains.

England’s cricketers have been isolated within this world since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with 15 cool guys and a mentor who wants you to be yourself if you fit the mold.

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

Considering this, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with