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The Journey of a Phenomenon is often characterized by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or coaches present an innovative concept that promises a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to confront the system overseas. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, exposed, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest as a symbol, has emerged through the lines and is taken aside with discretion to a different team in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when the world was still young? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Movement founders offer a new start, optimism ahead, support, redemption within a community united in belief in the big idea.

How did it feel at first? Players celebrating basking in glory. Tattoos. Strength. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, England’s players insist they don’t use the label, ironically since it’s not recognized, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s Harry Brook executing a stroke so outrageous it defies description. It’s the thrill of the leader in his final form, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, untamed style, genuinely raw you almost imagine to look down and see him playing on the ground shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the batsman often seen to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a happy little woodland creature formally attired, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the vibe, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Building period. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of mantras. These beliefs can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The backlash, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat appears excessive, unwarranted. The performance was poor during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated in the field during a brief period when tactics failed, outplayed by the opponent playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with aura.

And now we have this the criticism, the anger, the view of the sport as a failure. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be purged, destroyed, defeated by the vengeful purity of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, out there celebrating achievements modestly similar to getting a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Issues emerge from failures in the plan. But the cult cannot admit errors. It turns to hatred of the outside world.

Ultimately, a few days before from the second Test, we are at a critical juncture in the story of this movement. Victory is possible in Brisbane with bold tactics. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it feels like we could be witnessing the decline.

Ahead of this, there are two things to note on the topic. Previously, at the start, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear how to confirm lack of cult status is if supporters respond with anger denying scrutiny of the beliefs.

The developments recently are fascinating. Opposition to the style has now become the cult. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have developed as part of your identity from others, it’s just a joke in the end old boy.

And this is the real point. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the team has long been exclusive, a circle, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with centuries of ceremonial past supporting it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of England, the original sports washers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been enclosed in this system from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their past, building another enclosure, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Stay present. Embrace challenges. But no matter how fast and far you run, things stay similar.

With this mind, now is the time to show understanding for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with