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The Journey of a Movement can be characterized by distinct phases.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or figureheads propose a new and transcendent idea offering a solution for disconnected individuals.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment overseas. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from within. One individual, exposed, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT displayed prominently as a statement, has emerged through the lines and is taken aside with discretion for a temporary assignment in county cricket.

Do you recall the beginning, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders guarantee a fresh beginning, a brighter tomorrow, love, redemption among a group who all believe in the big idea.

What was this thing initially? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Tattoos. Forearms. Determination. Elite male wellness energy. Of course, The team insist Bazball doesn’t actually exist, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in his final form, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless holding a fish.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission addressing the media, out there looking like a joyful figure smartly dressed, expressing thoughts like we’re breaking down traditions. Certainly, the energy, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Development stage. Unity enforced through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Am I alone? The reaction, the fury, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss feels overblown, overdone. England batted badly during the match, as is typical there. They were torn apart defensively in a short span as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, outplayed by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, responsive to the situation, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the attacks, the rage, the perception of the team as a kind of abomination. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be scoured, obliterated, defeated by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the conventional tactics of the bowler, marking achievements humbly as if receiving a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. But the cult cannot admit errors. It turns to hostility externally.

In truth, approaching from the second Test, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the story of this approach. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it appears we may see the decline.

Before that happens, several aspects to note on the topic. Previously, back in those heady early days, of passion and hope, a column appeared suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear how to confirm that it’s not a closed group is when its acolytes respond with anger denying scrutiny of the philosophy.

What has happened recently is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, there is the broader context of the host’s complex more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured as one way of separating yourself from others, it’s just a joke in the end old boy.

This is the core issue. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult as the game has its own culture. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a circle, an elite gathering, an insular community with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of the British, the original sports washers. And surprisingly, Britain is itself a cult, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been sealed up in this environment since childhood. Seeking change, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their upbringing, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but doing it this time with 15 cool guys and a mentor encouraging individuality if you fit the mold.

Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Considering this, it is perhaps the moment to show understanding for the movement, to appreciate its good points, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with