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The Life Cycle of a Cult tends to be characterized by specific steps.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or figureheads propose a revolutionary approach offering a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. They’re getting ready to challenge the establishment overseas. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, naked, anxious, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET displayed prominently as a statement, has come staggering through the lines and is removed in secrecy to a different team elsewhere.

Do you ever miss the start, when everything was fresh? The era of early Bazball, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects guarantee a fresh beginning, optimism ahead, support, redemption within a community with shared faith in the big idea.

What was this thing back then? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Tattoos. Forearms. Focus. Elite male wellness energy. Of course, England’s players insist they don’t use the label, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know its essence. It’s Harry Brook attempting a move so depraved it defies description. It’s the adrenaline of the leader at his peak, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, rugged appearance, hair woven from beaver hide, so authentically Modern Savage you almost imagine to glance over and find him positioned at mid-off shirtless embracing nature.

It’s Ben Duckett often seen to talk in press conferences, resembling a joyful figure formally attired, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. Certainly, the atmosphere, for quite a long time, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced via memorization of the cult’s slogans. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a test of “true belief”.

Am I alone? The reaction, the outrage, the sense of betrayal post-defeat seems too strong, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as is typical there. They were dominated defensively during a brief period when tactics failed, manipulated by Travis Head imitating their style effectively, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with aura.

Currently, we see the attacks, the anger, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, destroyed, defeated via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, out there celebrating his wickets humbly like he’s just been given a nice new fishing rod. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Challenges surface due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

Ultimately, approaching from the second Test, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the journey of this thing. They might succeed in Brisbane with bold tactics. More likely, failure may follow. In case of defeat it feels like we could be witnessing the death cult phase.

Ahead of this, a couple of points worth saying on the topic. In the past, at the start, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which was helpful since it’s clear the best way of proving lack of cult status is if supporters react defensively denying scrutiny of its truths.

What has happened recently are equally notable. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, pictures of upset followers overseas missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Conversely, we have the wider backdrop of the opponent’s mixed more culturally hard-wired exasperation with the aggressive tourists, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have developed as part of your identity from others, it’s not serious ultimately.

This is the core issue. It’s all cults. Bazball was a cult as the game has its own culture. Or rather, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, a private event, a restricted environment with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. This has always been where influence is guarded. It’s the imperial sport of England, the pioneering brand. And surprisingly, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been isolated in this system from a young age. Seeking change, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their upbringing, creating another a bubble, a limited community, however with 15 cool guys and a coach promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. However much you change, things stay similar.

Considering this, it might be appropriate to show understanding for the movement, to appreciate its good points, which are significant. What does it represent? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with