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

1. The Core Concept

A dominant personality or figureheads introduce a revolutionary approach pledging a cure for struggling players.

And so it goes. Preparations are underway to confront the system in Australia. Tensions are rising. Signs of trouble appear from within. An isolated player, naked, shivering, the words HIGH RELEASE POINT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has emerged through the lines and is being led away under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint in county cricket.

Remember the start, when the world was still young? The initial phase, of pure instinct.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders guarantee a reboot, hope for a future, support, success within a community who all believe in the philosophy.

What did it represent initially? A team united enjoying success. Ink. Muscles. Focus. Elite male wellness energy. Oh sure, The squad often say it’s not a real term, ironically since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

But we know the concept. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it defies description. It’s the excitement of the captain at his peak, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, strong features, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you almost imagine to notice and find him positioned in the field bare-chested and cradling a wild salmon.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission speaking publicly, out there looking like a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. Certainly, the atmosphere, initially, was uplifting.

3. The Growth Phase

Building period. Cohesion maintained through repetition of key phrases. These beliefs may seem irrational as a loyalty check.

Am I alone? The backlash, the outrage, the feeling of letdown post-defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were dominated defensively for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, outplayed by the batsman imitating their style effectively, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with aura.

Now there is the pile-on, the rage, the view of the sport as a failure. The feeling seems to be that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be scoured, destroyed, overwhelmed through sheer skill of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking his wickets with a bashful smile as if receiving a pleasant gift. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Challenges surface from failures in the plan. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hatred of the outside world.

In truth, half a week out from the second Test, we’ve entered a critical juncture in the lifespan of this movement. England could quite easily win in Brisbane with bold tactics. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it appears we really might be entering the decline.

Prior to that, there are two things to note about this. More than two years ago, back in those heady early days, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. There was outrage, which demonstrated as it’s known how to confirm lack of cult status is when its acolytes react defensively objecting to the questioning of the beliefs.

What has happened recently are equally notable. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Social media is furious, disappointed commentators, images of frustrated travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, similar to people wanting fairness.

Conversely, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration with the aggressive tourists, out there saying, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured as part of your identity from others, it’s just a joke ultimately.

Here lies the truth. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon since the sport itself is insular. Or rather, the sport in England is closed, a clique, an elite gathering, an insular community with a long history of opaque and ritualistic cult history behind it. This has always been a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the imperial sport of England, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, the country is a phenomenon, a structure of hidden ranks, a monarchy still exists.

The players have been enclosed in this system for years. In trying to escape from it, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their own experience, building another enclosure, a limited community, however with 15 cool guys and a leader encouraging individuality if you fit the mold.

Stay present. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, you remain stuck.

With this mind, it is perhaps the moment to show understanding for Bazball, to appreciate its good points, of which there are many. What is Bazball? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with