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The Life Cycle of a Cult can be defined by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

A charismatic leader or coaches present a new and transcendent idea pledging a solution for disconnected individuals.

Thus we find ourselves. Preparations are underway to confront the system overseas. Pressure is mounting. Smoke is rising from the sidelines. An isolated player, naked, shivering, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET written on his body as a symbol, has stumbled from the field and is removed under a blanket towards an inconclusive loan stint elsewhere.

Remember the early days, when optimism reigned? The initial phase, of uninhibited aggression.

2. Love-Bombing

Movement founders guarantee a new start, a brighter tomorrow, support, success within a community who all believe in the big idea.

What did it represent at first? Players celebrating enjoying success. Tattoos. Forearms. Focus. Confident masculinity. Admittedly, The team often say they don’t use the label, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what exactly did I just watch?

But we know its essence. It’s the player playing a shot so unconventional it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of the leader in his final form, a look that says: pensive Nordic god, rugged appearance, natural look, so authentically Modern Savage you almost imagine to look down and see him playing in the field bare-chested embracing nature.

It’s Ben Duckett often seen to talk in press conferences, out there looking like a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, uttering phrases such as we are actively deconstructing the orange. And yes, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. Expansion Period

Growth phase. Unity enforced through repetition of mantras. These beliefs can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Am I alone? The backlash, the anger, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat appears excessive, too much. England batted badly during the match, as they often do in Australia. They were torn apart in the field for a couple of hours as the bowling and captaincy fell apart, carved around by Travis Head batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, a performer excelling with aura.

Now there is the pile-on, the anger, the perception of the team as a kind of abomination. The feeling seems to be that defeat must be total, they should be dismantled, to be cleansed, obliterated, overwhelmed via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of Scott Boland, marking achievements humbly like he’s just been given a pleasant gift. How will they respond?

4. External Conflict

Problems arise due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It begins to thrive on hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, a few days before the upcoming game, we have now reached a delicious point of tension in the lifespan of this movement. They might succeed in Brisbane through aggressive play. Alternatively, they could lose just as quickly. In case of defeat it appears we really might be entering the final stage.

Ahead of this, there are two things to consider regarding this. Previously, at the start, of optimism and energy, a column appeared labeling it a movement. Criticism followed, which demonstrated because everyone knows a method to show lack of cult status is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of the beliefs.

What has happened in the last few days are equally notable. Criticism of the approach is now the trend. We have a uniformly angry internet, critical analysts, pictures of upset travelling fans cheated out of three days of cricket, reminiscent of investors demanding recourse.

On the other hand, exists the larger scene of the opponent’s mixed ingrained annoyance towards the unconventional visitors, claiming, your cherished traditions and have fostered and nurtured to distinguish yourselves from others, well, it’s all a bit of a gag ultimately.

And this is the real point. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend as the game has its own culture. Or rather, English cricket has always been a cult, a clique, a garden party, an insular community with centuries of opaque and ritualistic cult history supporting it. Historically, this was where entry is limited. It’s the imperial sport of the nation, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

The team have been enclosed in this system for years. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are mirroring their upbringing, building another enclosure, an exclusive group, but now with 15 cool guys 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, things stay similar.

Reflecting on this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What does it represent? Promoting liberation. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with