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The Journey of a Movement tends to be characterized by distinct phases.

1. The Big Idea

A dominant personality or figureheads present a revolutionary approach offering a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment overseas. Tensions are rising. Conflict emerges from the out-houses. An isolated player, vulnerable, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has emerged from the field and is removed in secrecy for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the early days, when everything was fresh? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders guarantee a reboot, hope for a future, love, success together united in belief in the big idea.

What was this thing initially? A team united enjoying success. Tattoos. Muscles. Determination. Confident masculinity. Of course, The squad often say it’s not a real term, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know what it is. It’s the player executing a stroke so outrageous it defies description. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in ultimate mode, a look that says: focused titan, strong features, untamed style, truly contemporary you almost imagine to notice and find him positioned on the ground bare-chested holding a fish.

It’s the opener continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a happy little woodland creature formally attired, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. Indeed, the vibe, initially, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Growth phase. Unity enforced through repetition of key phrases. These principles may seem irrational as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The backlash, the outrage, the feeling of letdown following the initial loss appears excessive, too much. The performance was poor in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated defensively for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, outplayed by the batsman batting like England but better, adaptive to conditions, a performer excelling with a kind of light around him.

Currently, we see the attacks, the anger, the perception of the team as a kind of abomination. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, destroyed, destroyed by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, marking achievements humbly as if receiving a rewarding prize. How will they respond?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface because of mistakes. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

Ultimately, half a week out the next match, we are at a critical juncture in the lifespan of this approach. England could quite easily win in the next Test with bold tactics. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it feels like we really might be entering the final stage.

Ahead of this, several aspects to consider regarding this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which proved the point as it’s known a method to show lack of cult status is when its acolytes respond with anger rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

What has happened in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Social media is furious, critical analysts, images of frustrated supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of the host’s complex more culturally hard-wired exasperation with the aggressive tourists, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have developed as part of your identity from the opposition, it’s not serious ultimately.

And this is the real point. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history supporting it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the imperial sport of the nation, the early image-makers. And guess what, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been enclosed in this system since childhood. Attempting to break free, to build a better atmosphere, they are simply replicating their upbringing, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with a new team and a mentor encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. Despite efforts, things stay similar.

With this mind, now is the time to offer compassion for the movement, to recognize its positives, of which there are many. How to define it? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with