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

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or figureheads present a new and transcendent idea that promises a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to confront the system down in Brisbane. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. A lone figure, exposed, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has stumbled from the field and is taken aside with discretion to a different team elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects promise a fresh beginning, optimism ahead, love, success together who all believe in the philosophy.

What was this thing back then? Players celebrating feeling good. Ink. Muscles. Determination. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, The team insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

However, everyone understands the concept. It’s the batsman attempting a move so unconventional it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline of the leader in his final form, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, strong features, natural look, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and see him playing on the ground stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a happy little woodland creature smartly dressed, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Indeed, the vibe, for quite a long time, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Growth phase. Unity enforced by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These ideas are often illogical to prove commitment.

Does anyone else feel? The backlash, the fury, the disappointment following the initial loss appears excessive, unwarranted. England batted badly in Perth, as is typical there. They were torn apart in the field in a short span as plans unraveled, outplayed by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a man playing with brilliance.

And now we have this the criticism, the rage, the view of the sport as a failure. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, obliterated, overwhelmed by the vengeful purity of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the conventional tactics of the veteran, marking his wickets with a bashful smile similar to getting a nice new fishing rod. What will this do to them?

4. The Backlash Phase

Issues emerge due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

Ultimately, a few days before the next match, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this thing. England could quite easily win overseas with bold tactics. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it seems we could be witnessing the death cult phase.

Ahead of this, a couple of points to note about this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. There was outrage, which demonstrated since it’s clear the best way of proving that it’s not a closed group is should followers react defensively rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

The developments lately is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, disappointed commentators, pictures of upset travelling fans missing out on play, reminiscent of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation towards the unconventional visitors, claiming, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag in the end old boy.

And this is the real point. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon since the sport itself is insular. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with two hundred years of ceremonial past supporting it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

England’s cricketers have been enclosed in this environment since childhood. Attempting to break free, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their past, forming a new circle, a closed circle, but now with a modern squad and a leader who wants you to be yourself if you fit the mold.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. But no matter how fast and far you run, you’re always basically in the same place.

With this mind, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with