🔗 Share this article

The Life Cycle of a Movement is often defined by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

A dominant personality or figureheads present a revolutionary approach that promises a solution for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to challenge the establishment overseas. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. A lone figure, vulnerable, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest as a statement, has emerged through the lines and is taken aside under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Do you recall the early days, when optimism reigned? The days of Bazball 1.0, of pure instinct.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders offer a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, support, success among a group with shared faith in the method.

What was this thing initially? Just men on a balcony enjoying success. Ink. Muscles. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The team insist they don’t use the label, amusingly as it’s denied, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear what it is. It’s the batsman playing a shot so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of the captain in ultimate mode, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you half-expect to look down and notice he’s fielding in the field bare-chested holding a fish.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a joyful figure in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the vibe, initially, was only good energy.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These principles are often illogical to prove commitment.

Am I alone? The reaction, the fury, the disappointment following the initial loss appears excessive, too much. The performance was poor on the field, as is typical there. They were torn apart defensively in a short span when tactics failed, outplayed by the opponent playing aggressively but smarter, responsive to the situation, a man playing with brilliance.

And now we have this the attacks, the anger, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The feeling seems to be that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be purged, obliterated, overwhelmed through sheer skill of the bowler’s action, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, out there celebrating his wickets with a bashful smile as if receiving a nice new fishing rod. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

Problems arise due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hostility externally.

The fact remains, a few days before the upcoming game, we have now reached a critical juncture in the journey of this thing. Victory is possible in Brisbane in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it appears we may see the final stage.

Prior to that, several aspects to consider on the topic. In the past, at the start, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which demonstrated since it’s clear a method to show something definitely isn’t a cult is should followers react defensively objecting to the questioning of the beliefs.

Recent events recently are equally notable. Criticism of the approach has now become the cult. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, images of frustrated followers overseas disappointed by the short match, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration with the aggressive tourists, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity culturally from us, it’s just a joke in the end old boy.

Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a clique, an elite gathering, an insular community with two hundred years of ceremonial past behind it. This has always been where entry is limited. It’s the imperial sport of England, the original sports washers. And notably, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

England’s cricketers have been sealed up in this system since childhood. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are simply replicating their past, creating another a bubble, a closed circle, but now with a new team and a mentor who wants you to be yourself if you fit the mold.

Stay present. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, things stay similar.

With this mind, it might be appropriate to offer compassion for the movement, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Questioning traditions. Batting aggressively|Attacking with