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The Life Cycle of a Phenomenon tends to be defined by specific steps.

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or coaches introduce an innovative concept offering a cure for struggling players.

Thus we find ourselves. Plans are in motion to storm the compound in Australia. Tensions are rising. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, exposed, shivering, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has emerged from the field and is being led away in secrecy towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you recall the early days, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders offer a new start, optimism ahead, love, redemption within a community who all believe in the philosophy.

How did it feel at first? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Tattoos. Strength. Focus. Peak performance vibes. Admittedly, The squad insist they don’t use the label, amusingly because if it doesn’t exist, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of the leader at his peak, a demeanor suggesting: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, genuinely raw you half-expect to notice and see him playing on the ground stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission addressing the media, out there looking like a cheerful animal formally attired, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the atmosphere, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. A New Life

Building period. Cohesion maintained by rote learning of key phrases. These ideas may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Does anyone else feel? The backlash, the outrage, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. The batting collapsed in Perth, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged defensively for a couple of hours when tactics failed, outplayed by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with brilliance.

And now we have this the criticism, the anger, the view of the sport as a kind of abomination. The opinion suggests that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, flame-throwered, destroyed by the vengeful purity of Mitchell Starc’s movements, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, seen enjoying successes humbly like he’s just been given a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

Issues emerge due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

Ultimately, a few days before from the second Test, we’ve entered a critical juncture in the journey of this approach. England could quite easily win overseas with bold tactics. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it seems we really might be entering the final stage.

Before that happens, several aspects to consider on the topic. More than two years ago, at the start, of optimism and energy, an piece was published labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear how to confirm something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes react defensively rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

Recent events recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Social media is furious, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, reminiscent of investors demanding recourse.

Meanwhile, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation towards the unconventional visitors, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have honed as one way of separating yourself from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

And this is the real point. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a garden party, a restricted environment with two hundred years of ceremonial past behind it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the British, the pioneering brand. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been isolated in this environment since childhood. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, creating another a bubble, a limited community, but now with a modern squad and a leader promoting authenticity as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. However much you change, you’re always basically in the same place.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. What does it represent? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with