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The Journey of a Phenomenon is often marked by specific steps.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or leaders introduce an innovative concept that promises a panacea for alienated and vulnerable people.

And so it goes. Plans are in motion to challenge the establishment in Australia. The gunships are circling. Smoke is rising from the out-houses. One individual, naked, anxious, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT smeared across his chest as a statement, has emerged through the lines and is removed in secrecy to a different team in county cricket.

Do you ever miss the beginning, when the world was still young? The days of Bazball 1.0, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Team architects promise a reboot, optimism ahead, support, redemption among a group with shared faith in the philosophy.

What was this thing initially? A team united feeling good. Ink. Forearms. Determination. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The team will claim they don’t use the label, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?

Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the batsman attempting a move so outrageous it defies description. It’s the thrill of the captain in his final form, an expression conveying: thoughtful warrior, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, genuinely raw you almost imagine to notice and see him playing at mid-off bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s Ben Duckett still being allowed speaking publicly, out there looking like a joyful figure smartly dressed, saying stuff like we are actively deconstructing the orange. Certainly, the vibe, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Unity enforced via memorization of mantras. These principles may seem irrational as a loyalty check.

Does anyone else feel? The reaction, the outrage, the feeling of letdown after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, overdone. The performance was poor during the match, as is typical there. They were torn apart defensively for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, responsive to the situation, a man playing with a kind of light around him.

Now there is the pile-on, the anger, the view of the sport as a kind of abomination. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, destroyed, defeated via traditional methods of the bowler’s action, the conventional tactics of the veteran, out there celebrating successes with a bashful smile as if receiving a pleasant gift. What will this do to them?

4. Hate Bonding

Issues emerge from failures in the plan. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on anger towards critics.

Ultimately, a few days before the next match, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this approach. They might succeed in Brisbane with bold tactics. Probably, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it seems we really might be entering the death cult phase.

Prior to that, there are two things worth saying regarding this. Previously, at the start, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. People were very angry, which proved the point since it’s clear how to confirm lack of cult status is if supporters react defensively rejecting criticism of its truths.

What has happened lately are equally notable. Criticism of the approach has now become the cult. Social media is furious, angry English pundits, pictures of upset travelling fans missing out on play, reminiscent of timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, exists the larger scene of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance towards the unconventional visitors, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have developed as one way of separating yourself culturally from us, it’s not serious after all.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon because cricket is a cult. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with a long history of tradition and mystery defining it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of England, the pioneering brand. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a place that literally still has a king.

The players have been sealed up in this system from a young age. Attempting to break free, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their past, creating another a bubble, a closed circle, but now with 15 cool guys and a mentor promoting authenticity if you fit the mold.

Focus on the moment. Embrace challenges. But no matter how fast and far you run, you’re always basically in the same place.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to show understanding for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, that are numerous. How to define it? Promoting liberation. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with