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

1. The Grand Vision

A charismatic leader or coaches present a new and transcendent idea offering a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment overseas. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from within. An isolated player, naked, anxious, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently as a symbol, has stumbled into view and is taken aside in secrecy for a temporary assignment in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the early days, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of Bazball without brains.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders promise a reboot, hope for a future, support, success within a community united in belief in the method.

What did it represent back then? Players celebrating basking in glory. Body art. Strength. Focus. Elite male wellness energy. Oh sure, The team insist it’s not a real term, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know the concept. It’s the batsman playing a shot so outrageous it defies description. It’s the adrenaline of the captain in his final form, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, natural look, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to glance over and see him playing at mid-off stripped to the waist and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the opener often seen addressing the media, appearing as a happy little woodland creature in a waistcoat, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the vibe, initially, was uplifting.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of key phrases. These principles are often illogical to prove commitment.

Is it just me? The backlash, the anger, the sense of betrayal following the initial loss seems too strong, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as history shows. They were savaged while bowling for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, outplayed by the opponent batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the criticism, the rage, the view of the sport as a failure. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be scoured, destroyed, defeated through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the simple basics of Scott Boland, marking achievements humbly similar to getting a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hostility externally.

The fact remains, approaching from the second Test, we have now reached a critical juncture in the lifespan of this approach. England could quite easily win in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, they could lose just as quickly. Should they fail it seems we may see the decline.

Before that happens, there are two things worth saying regarding this. Previously, at the start, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which was helpful as it’s known the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is should followers react defensively rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

What has happened in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, disappointed commentators, shots of angry middle-aged followers overseas disappointed by the short match, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance towards the unconventional visitors, out there saying, the methods you value and have honed as part of your identity from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

Here lies the truth. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a circle, a private event, an insular community with centuries of tradition and mystery defining it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the British pastime of the British, the early image-makers. And guess what, Britain is itself a cult, a structure of hidden ranks, a royal family remains.

England’s cricketers have been sealed up within this world from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their own experience, building another enclosure, an exclusive group, but doing it this time with a new team and a coach who wants you to be yourself as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

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

With this mind, now is the time to offer compassion for Bazball, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with