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

1. The Big Idea

A dominant personality or coaches present a new and transcendent idea offering a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to confront the system down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Signs of trouble appear from the out-houses. An isolated player, naked, anxious, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently as a symbol, has emerged from the field and is taken aside under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders promise a fresh beginning, a brighter tomorrow, camaraderie, success among a group who all believe in the philosophy.

How did it feel at first? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Ink. Forearms. Jawlines. Elite male wellness energy. Of course, The squad often say Bazball doesn’t actually exist, amusingly as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

Yet it’s clear the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes at his peak, an expression conveying: focused titan, strong features, natural look, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to notice and see him playing in the field stripped to the waist holding a fish.

It’s the batsman often seen addressing the media, resembling a cheerful animal smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. Certainly, the energy, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Cohesion maintained through repetition of mantras. These beliefs are often illogical as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The reaction, the fury, the disappointment following the initial loss appears excessive, too much. England batted badly 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, outplayed by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, responsive to the situation, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the pile-on, the frustration, the view of the sport as a kind of abomination. The feeling seems to be that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, obliterated, destroyed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, out there celebrating achievements humbly like he’s just been given a pleasant gift. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Challenges surface due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on hostility externally.

The fact remains, approaching from the second Test, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the story of this approach. England could quite easily win in Brisbane in a blur of adrenal disruption. Alternatively, defeat could come swiftly. Should they fail it seems we could be witnessing the final stage.

Before that happens, several aspects to consider about this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of passion and hope, a column appeared labeling it a movement. People were very angry, which was helpful since it’s clear the best way of proving that it’s not a closed group is should followers send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

Recent events in the last few days is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, angry English pundits, images of frustrated travelling fans disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of people wanting fairness.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance with the aggressive tourists, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have developed as one way of separating yourself from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a clique, a garden party, a closed world with two hundred years of ceremonial past supporting it. It has long been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the imperial sport of the British, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been enclosed in this system since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their past, creating another a bubble, an exclusive group, but doing it this time with a modern squad and a leader encouraging individuality if you fit the mold.

Stay present. Confront risks. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

Considering this, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with