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The Life Cycle of a Phenomenon is often marked by specific steps.

1. The Big Idea

An inspiring figure or leaders introduce a revolutionary approach pledging a solution for alienated and vulnerable people.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to confront the system in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Signs of trouble appear from the out-houses. One individual, exposed, nervous, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT written on his body in chicken blood, has come staggering through the lines and is being led away with discretion for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Do you recall the early days, when everything was fresh? The days of Bazball 1.0, of Bazball without brains.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Cult leaders guarantee a new start, hope for a future, love, redemption within a community with shared faith in the method.

How did it feel back then? Players celebrating feeling good. Body art. Strength. Jawlines. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, England’s players will claim it’s not a real term, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

However, everyone understands its essence. It’s the batsman playing a shot so outrageous it has to be pixelated. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, a demeanor suggesting: focused titan, strong features, untamed style, genuinely raw you wouldn’t be surprised to glance over and see him playing in the field bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the opener still being allowed to talk in press conferences, appearing as a joyful figure in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. And yes, the energy, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced by rote learning of key phrases. These ideas may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the outrage, the feeling of letdown post-defeat appears excessive, unwarranted. The batting collapsed on the field, as history shows. They were dominated defensively for a couple of hours when tactics failed, outplayed by the opponent imitating their style effectively, responsive to the situation, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the attacks, the rage, the view of the sport as a failure. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they need to lose righteously, to be scoured, flame-throwered, destroyed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the conventional tactics of Scott Boland, marking successes modestly similar to getting a rewarding prize. How will they respond?

4. The Backlash Phase

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. However, faults are ignored. It turns to anger towards critics.

In truth, half a week out the next match, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the journey of this movement. Victory is possible in the next Test through aggressive play. More likely, defeat could come swiftly. And if they do lose it seems we really might be entering the death cult phase.

Prior to that, several aspects worth saying about this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, a column appeared suggesting Bazball was a cult. People were very angry, which demonstrated since it’s clear a method to show lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of its truths.

The developments recently is just as interesting. Criticism of the approach has turned into a movement. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, images of frustrated travelling fans missing out on play, similar to timeshare owners seeking justice.

Meanwhile, we have the wider backdrop of the host’s complex ingrained annoyance at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from others, it’s not serious ultimately.

And this is the real point. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or at least, the team has long been exclusive, a clique, an elite gathering, a closed world with two hundred years of opaque and ritualistic cult history supporting it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. 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 system from a young age. In trying to escape from it, to foster positivity, they are simply replicating their past, forming a new circle, a limited community, but now with 15 cool guys and a mentor encouraging individuality if you fit the mold.

Live where your feet are. Confront risks. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to show understanding for the approach, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Creating a sense of freedom. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with