🔗 Share this article

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

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or leaders propose a revolutionary approach pledging a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. A lone figure, vulnerable, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest as a symbol, has stumbled from the field and is removed in secrecy to a different team elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the start, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Cult leaders promise a fresh beginning, optimism ahead, camaraderie, salvation within a community with shared faith in the big idea.

What did it represent initially? A team united feeling good. Tattoos. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, The squad insist they don’t use the label, which is funny since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, a demeanor suggesting: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, natural look, truly contemporary you half-expect to look down and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman still being allowed addressing the media, resembling a joyful figure in a waistcoat, expressing thoughts like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Indeed, the atmosphere, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Growth phase. Togetherness strengthened via memorization of key phrases. These ideas are often illogical as a test of “true belief”.

Does anyone else feel? The reaction, the fury, the disappointment following the initial loss feels overblown, too much. The performance was poor during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged while bowling in a short span as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by the opponent imitating their style effectively, responsive to the situation, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the criticism, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a failure. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be scoured, destroyed, destroyed via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, seen enjoying his wickets modestly similar to getting a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. External Conflict

Problems arise due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

In truth, a few days before the next match, we are at a delicious point of tension in the story of this thing. England could quite easily win in the next Test with bold tactics. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it feels like we may see the decline.

Ahead of this, there are two things to note regarding this. Previously, at the start, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which demonstrated since it’s clear a method to show lack of cult status is when its acolytes react defensively rejecting criticism of its truths.

The developments recently are equally notable. Opposition to the style has turned into a movement. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, shots of angry middle-aged supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, similar to investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed deep-seated frustration towards the unconventional visitors, out there saying, the methods you value and have developed as one way of separating yourself from the opposition, it’s not serious after all.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a clique, a garden party, a closed world with centuries of ceremonial past supporting it. It has long been where influence is guarded. It’s the British pastime of the nation, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

The players have been isolated in this environment from a young age. Seeking change, to build a better atmosphere, they are just repeating their upbringing, building another enclosure, a limited community, however with a modern squad and a mentor encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Embrace challenges. Despite efforts, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to show understanding for Bazball, to recognize its positives, of which there are many. What does it represent? Creating a sense of freedom. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with