🔗 Share this article

The Life Cycle of a Phenomenon tends to be marked by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

An inspiring figure or figureheads introduce a new and transcendent idea offering a cure for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to storm the compound down in Brisbane. Tensions are rising. Signs of trouble appear from the sidelines. An isolated player, exposed, nervous, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT written on his body as a symbol, has come staggering into view and is being led away under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint at Derbyshire.

Remember the beginning, when the world was still young? The era of early Bazball, of Bazball without brains.

2. Initial Adoration

Cult leaders offer a reboot, hope for a future, support, redemption together with shared faith in the big idea.

How did it feel back then? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Tattoos. Muscles. Determination. Elite male wellness energy. Oh sure, The squad will claim Bazball doesn’t actually exist, ironically as it’s denied, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know the concept. It’s the player executing a stroke so depraved it has to be pixelated. It’s the excitement of Ben Stokes at his peak, an expression conveying: focused titan, rugged appearance, natural look, truly contemporary you wouldn’t be surprised to look down and notice he’s fielding at mid-off shirtless embracing nature.

It’s the opener continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a joyful figure in a waistcoat, expressing thoughts like we’re breaking down traditions. Indeed, the energy, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. A New Life

Development stage. Cohesion maintained by rote learning of mantras. These principles can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The backlash, the anger, the feeling of letdown following the initial loss appears excessive, too much. The performance was poor on the field, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated while bowling for a couple of hours when tactics failed, carved around by the opponent imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, a performer excelling with aura.

Currently, we see the attacks, the rage, the sense of English Test cricket as a disgrace. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be cleansed, obliterated, destroyed by the vengeful purity of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, out there celebrating achievements modestly like he’s just been given a nice new fishing rod. How will they respond?

4. Hate Bonding

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

In truth, a few days before the next match, we have now reached a critical juncture in the story of this thing. England could quite easily win overseas in a blur of adrenal disruption. More likely, failure may follow. In case of defeat it feels like we really might be entering the death cult phase.

Before that happens, a couple of points worth saying about this. Previously, during the initial excitement, of optimism and energy, an piece was published labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which proved the point since it’s clear how to confirm that it’s not a closed group is when its acolytes respond with anger denying scrutiny of the beliefs.

What has happened lately are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball is now the trend. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, like a room full of investors demanding recourse.

Conversely, there is the broader context of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance with the aggressive tourists, claiming, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag in the end old boy.

And this is the real point. It’s all cults. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a clique, a private event, a closed world with centuries of tradition and mystery supporting it. Historically, this was a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the British pastime of England, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, the nation has its own culture, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a royal family remains.

England’s cricketers have been enclosed in this environment since childhood. Attempting to break free, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their past, forming a new circle, an exclusive group, but doing it this time with 15 cool guys and a leader promoting authenticity provided you conform.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. However much you change, things stay similar.

Considering this, now is the time to have some sympathy for the movement, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with