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The Journey of a Phenomenon tends to be defined by distinct phases.

1. The Grand Vision

A dominant personality or figureheads present a revolutionary approach pledging a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. They’re getting ready to storm the compound down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. A lone figure, vulnerable, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has come staggering through the lines and is taken aside under a blanket for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

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

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Movement founders promise a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, love, success among a group who all believe in the philosophy.

How did it feel at first? A team united feeling good. Body art. Muscles. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Of course, The squad often say they don’t use the label, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s the batsman executing a stroke so outrageous it has to be pixelated. It’s the adrenaline 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 in the field bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett continuing to have permission addressing the media, resembling a happy little woodland creature formally attired, saying stuff like we’re breaking down traditions. Indeed, the energy, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. A New Life

Growth phase. Cohesion maintained through repetition of mantras. These principles can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat appears excessive, too much. The performance was poor in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated in the field in a short span as plans unraveled, outplayed by the batsman batting like England but better, responsive to the situation, a man playing with brilliance.

And now we have this the pile-on, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be purged, destroyed, destroyed by the vengeful purity of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking his wickets humbly similar to getting a nice new fishing rod. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

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

Ultimately, half a week out from the second Test, we’ve entered a critical juncture in the story of this movement. England could quite easily win in Brisbane with bold tactics. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it appears we could be witnessing the death cult phase.

Prior to that, a couple of points to note on the topic. In the past, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, an piece was published calling it a phenomenon. People were very angry, which demonstrated because everyone knows a method to show lack of cult status is if supporters respond with anger objecting to the questioning of the beliefs.

Recent events recently is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated supporters abroad disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, the methods you value and have fostered and nurtured as one way of separating yourself from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or at least, English cricket has always been a cult, a group, a private event, an insular community with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. Historically, this was a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the British pastime of England, the pioneering brand. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been sealed up in this environment since childhood. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their past, building another enclosure, a limited community, but now with 15 cool guys and a coach promoting authenticity as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. Despite efforts, things stay similar.

Considering this, now is the time to show understanding for the movement, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with