Should We Observe the Decline of the Cult of Attacking Play, Let’s Enjoy Its Impact.
The Evolution of a Cult is often defined by clear stages.
1. The Core Concept
An inspiring figure or leaders propose a new and transcendent idea pledging a cure for struggling players.
And so it goes. Preparations are underway to confront the system in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Conflict emerges from within. An isolated player, vulnerable, nervous, the phrase ATTACKING MINDSET smeared across his chest in chicken blood, has stumbled into view and is being led away under a blanket to a different team elsewhere.
Remember the start, when optimism reigned? The era of early Bazball, of uninhibited aggression.
2. The Honeymoon Phase
Team architects offer a reboot, hope for a future, support, success within a community who all believe in the philosophy.
How did it feel at first? Just men on a balcony basking in glory. Ink. Muscles. Focus. Confident masculinity. Oh sure, England’s players insist they don’t use the label, which is funny because if it doesn’t exist, what did we see?
Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the batsman playing a shot so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the excitement of the captain in his final form, a look that says: thoughtful warrior, rugged appearance, untamed style, so authentically Modern Savage you half-expect to notice and see him playing in the field shirtless embracing nature.
It’s the batsman often seen speaking publicly, out there looking like a cheerful animal in a waistcoat, saying stuff like we’re challenging norms. Certainly, the vibe, initially, was only good energy.
3. The Growth Phase
Building period. Cohesion maintained via memorization of the cult’s slogans. These ideas can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.
Am I alone? The backlash, the fury, the sense of betrayal after the first Ashes Test defeat seems too strong, unwarranted. England batted badly during the match, as is typical there. They were dominated while bowling for a couple of hours as plans unraveled, manipulated by Travis Head batting like England but better, adjusting to the pitch, a man playing with aura.
And now we have this the criticism, the rage, the perception of the team as a failure. The consensus is that losing isn’t enough, they must be humbled, to be scoured, destroyed, defeated through sheer skill of the pace attack, the simple basics of the veteran, marking achievements humbly as if receiving a pleasant gift. How will they respond?
4. Hate Bonding
Problems arise due to setbacks. Yet, mistakes are denied. It turns to anger towards critics.
The fact remains, a few days before the next match, we’ve entered a delicious point of tension in the story of this movement. England could quite easily win in the next Test with bold tactics. More likely, failure may follow. Should they fail it feels like we could be witnessing the death cult phase.
Prior to that, several aspects worth saying about this. In the past, back in those heady early days, of light and heat, a column appeared suggesting Bazball was a cult. There was outrage, which proved the point because everyone knows the best way of proving something definitely isn’t a cult is should followers react defensively denying scrutiny of its truths.
The developments in the last few days is just as interesting. It seems that hating Bazball has now become the cult. Online outrage is widespread, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans missing out on play, like a room full of timeshare owners seeking justice.
On the other hand, exists the larger scene of Australia’s more nuanced more culturally hard-wired exasperation at these weirdly passive-aggressive buccaneers, stating, your cherished traditions and have developed as part of your identity culturally from us, it’s just a joke in the end old boy.
Here lies the truth. Everything is a cult. The style was a trend as the game has its own culture. In fact, the sport in England is closed, a group, a garden party, a restricted environment with two hundred years of ceremonial past behind it. This has always been where entry is limited. It’s the colonial game of the British, the early image-makers. And surprisingly, the nation has its own culture, a system of unknown levels, a royal family remains.
The players have been enclosed in this environment since childhood. Seeking change, to create a less brutal environment, they are just repeating their own experience, forming a new circle, a limited community, but now with a new team and a leader encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.
Focus on the moment. Run towards the danger. Despite efforts, things stay similar.
Considering this, now is the time to have some sympathy for Bazball, to recognize its positives, that are numerous. What is Bazball? Promoting liberation. Challenging orthodoxies. Batting aggressively|Attacking with
