🔗 Share this article

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

1. The Big Idea

A charismatic leader or leaders introduce a new and transcendent idea that promises a solution for struggling players.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to confront the system overseas. Pressure is mounting. Signs of trouble appear from within. One individual, exposed, shivering, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has come staggering into view and is removed under a blanket to a different team in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when everything was fresh? The era of early Bazball, of Bazball without brains.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders promise a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, support, success within a community united in belief in the philosophy.

What was this thing initially? Players celebrating feeling good. Tattoos. Muscles. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The squad often say it’s not a real term, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what was that spectacle?

But we know what it is. It’s the player attempting a move so depraved it defies description. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes in his final form, a look that says: focused titan, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and find him positioned in the field stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, appearing as a cheerful animal smartly dressed, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Indeed, the vibe, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Togetherness strengthened via memorization of the cult’s slogans. These principles may seem irrational to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The criticism, the outrage, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat seems too strong, too much. England batted badly on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated while bowling in a short span as plans unraveled, carved around by the batsman imitating their style effectively, responsive to the situation, an athlete shining with brilliance.

Now there is the criticism, the anger, the perception of the team as a failure. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, destroyed, overwhelmed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, marking successes with a bashful smile as if receiving a nice new fishing rod. How will they respond?

4. Hate Bonding

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

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we are at an intriguing moment in the lifespan of this movement. England could quite easily win in Brisbane with bold tactics. Alternatively, failure may follow. Should they fail it feels like we may see the final stage.

Ahead of this, several aspects worth saying regarding this. Previously, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which proved the point because everyone knows the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes react defensively rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

What has happened lately are equally notable. Opposition to the style has turned into a movement. We have a uniformly angry internet, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated travelling fans missing out on play, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, there is the broader context of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation towards the unconventional visitors, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have developed as one way of separating yourself culturally from us, it’s just a joke after all.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. The approach was a phenomenon since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a clique, a private event, an insular community with centuries of tradition and mystery supporting it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the British, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a royal family remains.

The players have been sealed up within this world since childhood. Attempting to break free, to build a better atmosphere, they are mirroring their own experience, creating another a bubble, a limited community, however with a new team and a coach promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Focus on the moment. Confront risks. Despite efforts, you’re always basically in the same place.

Reflecting on this, it is perhaps the moment to have some sympathy for the movement, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with