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The Journey of a Movement is often defined by specific steps.

1. The Core Concept

A dominant personality or figureheads propose an innovative concept offering a cure for alienated and vulnerable people.

Thus we find ourselves. Preparations are underway to storm the compound overseas. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from the sidelines. An isolated player, exposed, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has emerged into view and is being led away in secrecy for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Remember the start, when optimism reigned? The initial phase, of pure instinct.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Movement founders promise a new start, hope for a future, love, success together united in belief in the method.

How did it feel initially? Just men on a balcony feeling good. Tattoos. Strength. Determination. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, The team often say they don’t use the label, ironically because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know the concept. It’s the batsman attempting a move so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the thrill of the captain in ultimate mode, a look that says: focused titan, beard made of wood, natural look, genuinely raw you half-expect to look down and notice he’s fielding in the field stripped to the waist embracing nature.

It’s the opener still being allowed speaking publicly, appearing as a happy little woodland creature formally attired, expressing thoughts like we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the vibe, for a significant period, was only good energy.

3. Expansion Period

Building period. Unity enforced via memorization of mantras. These principles can appear contradictory to prove commitment.

Does anyone else feel? The criticism, the anger, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. England batted badly in Perth, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged in the field in a short span as plans unraveled, manipulated by Travis Head playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with aura.

Now there is the criticism, the anger, the view of the sport as a kind of abomination. The opinion suggests that England don’t just need to lose, they must be humbled, to be cleansed, destroyed, defeated through sheer skill of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the bowler, out there celebrating successes with a bashful smile similar to getting a rewarding prize. What impact will this have?

4. Hate Bonding

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

The fact remains, a few days before the upcoming game, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the story of this movement. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. Probably, failure may follow. Should they fail it feels like we may see the decline.

Before that happens, a couple of points to consider about this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of optimism and energy, an piece was published suggesting Bazball was a cult. People were very angry, which demonstrated because everyone knows how to confirm lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages objecting to the questioning of the philosophy.

Recent events in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. We have a uniformly angry internet, disappointed commentators, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans missing out on play, reminiscent of timeshare owners seeking justice.

On the other hand, we have the wider backdrop of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation with the aggressive tourists, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have developed to distinguish yourselves from the opposition, well, it’s all a bit of a gag after all.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. Bazball was a cult as the game has its own culture. In fact, the team has long been exclusive, a group, a private event, a restricted environment with a long history of opaque and ritualistic cult history defining it. It has long been where entry is limited. It’s the imperial sport of the nation, the original sports washers. And notably, the country is a phenomenon, a system of unknown levels, a place that literally still has a king.

The team have been isolated in this environment for years. Seeking change, to foster positivity, they are just repeating their own experience, building another enclosure, a closed circle, but now with 15 cool guys and a leader who wants you to be yourself if you fit the mold.

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

With this mind, it might be appropriate to have some sympathy for the approach, to acknowledge its merits, that are numerous. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with