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The Journey of a Movement can be defined by clear stages.

1. The Grand Vision

A charismatic leader or figureheads propose an innovative concept offering a cure for disconnected individuals.

So here we are. Preparations are underway to challenge the establishment down in Brisbane. The gunships are circling. Conflict emerges from within. An isolated player, vulnerable, anxious, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT smeared across his chest as a symbol, has come staggering into view and is removed with discretion for a temporary assignment elsewhere.

Do you recall the beginning, when optimism reigned? The initial phase, of pure instinct.

2. Initial Adoration

Team architects offer a reboot, a brighter tomorrow, love, redemption within a community who all believe in the big idea.

What did it represent initially? Players celebrating enjoying success. Ink. Strength. Determination. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, England’s players will claim they don’t use the label, which is funny since it’s not recognized, what did we see?

But we know the concept. It’s the player executing a stroke so depraved it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of the captain in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, natural look, genuinely raw you half-expect to notice and notice he’s fielding at mid-off stripped to the waist holding a fish.

It’s the batsman still being allowed to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal smartly dressed, uttering phrases such as we’re challenging norms. And yes, the energy, for a significant period, was uplifting.

3. A New Life

Development stage. Togetherness strengthened through repetition of the cult’s slogans. These principles may seem irrational as a test of “true belief”.

Is it just me? The reaction, the fury, the sense of betrayal post-defeat seems too strong, unwarranted. The performance was poor during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were savaged in the field for a couple of hours when tactics failed, outplayed by the batsman playing aggressively but smarter, adaptive to conditions, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the attacks, the anger, the view of the sport as a disgrace. The consensus is that defeat must be total, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, flame-throwered, overwhelmed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the conventional tactics of the veteran, out there celebrating his wickets humbly similar to getting a pleasant gift. What impact will this have?

4. The Backlash Phase

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

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we are at a delicious point of tension in the story of this thing. England could quite easily win in Brisbane through aggressive play. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. And if they do lose it seems we could be witnessing the final stage.

Before that happens, a couple of points to note on the topic. More than two years ago, at the start, of optimism and energy, I wrote an article calling it a phenomenon. Criticism followed, which demonstrated because everyone knows the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes react defensively objecting to the questioning of its truths.

Recent events recently are fascinating. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, pictures of upset travelling fans disappointed by the short match, reminiscent of investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, there is the broader context of Australia’s more nuanced deep-seated frustration at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, claiming, hey, that thing you love and have honed as part of your identity from the opposition, it’s not serious ultimately.

This is the core issue. Everything is a cult. Bazball was a cult because cricket is a cult. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with centuries of ceremonial past defining it. Historically, this was where influence is guarded. It’s the imperial sport of the British, the early image-makers. And notably, Britain is itself a cult, 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 build a better atmosphere, they are mirroring their own experience, building another enclosure, a limited community, but now with a new team and a mentor promoting authenticity as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Live where your feet are. Run towards the danger. 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? Creating a sense of freedom. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with