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The Evolution of a Movement is often marked by distinct phases.

1. The Big Idea

A dominant personality or coaches introduce a new and transcendent idea offering a panacea for struggling players.

So here we are. They’re getting ready to confront the system down in Brisbane. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from within. An isolated player, naked, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has come staggering from the field and is being led away in secrecy for a temporary assignment at Derbyshire.

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

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Team architects guarantee a new start, optimism ahead, support, redemption among a group united in belief in the big idea.

What did it represent initially? A team united enjoying success. Body art. Muscles. Jawlines. Peak performance vibes. Oh sure, England’s players insist it’s not a real term, amusingly as it’s denied, what did we see?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the player playing a shot so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in his final form, a demeanor suggesting: thoughtful warrior, rugged appearance, untamed style, truly contemporary you half-expect to glance over and see him playing on the ground shirtless holding a fish.

It’s the opener still being allowed addressing the media, out there looking like a joyful figure in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Indeed, the energy, for a significant period, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Cohesion maintained by rote learning of the cult’s slogans. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The reaction, the outrage, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. The performance was poor in Perth, as is typical there. They were dominated defensively for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, a man playing with a kind of light around him.

Currently, we see the attacks, the rage, the view of the sport as a disgrace. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they should be dismantled, to be scoured, destroyed, overwhelmed by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, out there celebrating successes modestly similar to getting a rewarding prize. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Problems arise due to setbacks. However, faults are ignored. It starts to feed on anger towards critics.

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we are at an intriguing moment in the journey of this thing. England could quite easily win overseas through aggressive play. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it seems we really might be entering the death cult phase.

Before that happens, a couple of points to note regarding this. More than two years ago, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article suggesting Bazball was a cult. Criticism followed, which proved the point as it’s known a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes respond with anger denying scrutiny of its truths.

Recent events recently are fascinating. Criticism of the approach has now become the cult. We have a uniformly angry internet, angry English pundits, images of frustrated followers overseas cheated out of three days of cricket, reminiscent of people wanting fairness.

Conversely, there is the broader context of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance towards the unconventional visitors, stating, the methods you value and have honed as part of your identity from the opposition, it’s just a joke ultimately.

And this is the real point. Everything is a cult. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or at least, English cricket has always been a cult, a circle, a private event, an insular community with two hundred years of tradition and mystery supporting it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of England, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been isolated in this environment from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their upbringing, building another enclosure, a closed circle, however with a new team and a coach who wants you to be yourself provided you conform.

Stay present. Embrace challenges. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Considering this, now is the time to offer compassion for the movement, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with