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The Journey of a Cult tends to be marked by distinct phases.

1. The Core Concept

An inspiring figure or figureheads introduce an innovative concept offering a solution for struggling players.

So here we are. Plans are in motion to confront the system in Australia. Pressure is mounting. Signs of trouble appear from the out-houses. One individual, vulnerable, shivering, the slogan POSITIVE INTENT displayed prominently in chicken blood, has emerged from the field and is being led away in secrecy to a different team at Derbyshire.

Remember the start, when the world was still young? The initial phase, of uninhibited aggression.

2. The Honeymoon Phase

Team architects guarantee a reboot, hope for a future, love, salvation among a group with shared faith in the big idea.

What was this thing at first? Players celebrating enjoying success. Tattoos. Strength. Focus. Confident masculinity. Of course, England’s players insist they don’t use the label, ironically as it’s denied, what was that spectacle?

Yet it’s clear its essence. It’s the batsman playing a shot so outrageous it’s beyond belief. It’s the adrenaline of the captain in ultimate mode, an expression conveying: pensive Nordic god, beard made of wood, hair woven from beaver hide, truly contemporary you half-expect to notice and see him playing on the ground stripped to the waist holding a fish.

It’s the batsman continuing to have permission addressing the media, out there looking like a joyful figure in a waistcoat, uttering phrases such as we’re breaking down traditions. And yes, the vibe, for quite a long time, was entirely positive.

3. A New Life

Growth phase. Unity enforced through repetition of key phrases. These ideas can appear contradictory as a loyalty check.

Is it just me? The reaction, the fury, the disappointment after the first Ashes Test defeat feels overblown, unwarranted. The performance was poor during the match, as history shows. They were savaged in the field in a short span when tactics failed, manipulated by Travis Head playing aggressively but smarter, adjusting to the pitch, an athlete shining with a kind of light around him.

And now we have this the criticism, the frustration, the perception of the team as a disgrace. The consensus is that England don’t just need to lose, they need to lose righteously, to be purged, flame-throwered, defeated via traditional methods of the pace attack, the low-fi orthodoxies of the veteran, seen enjoying his wickets with a bashful smile like he’s just been given a nice new fishing rod. What will this do to them?

4. External Conflict

Challenges surface due to setbacks. But the cult cannot admit errors. It starts to feed on hatred of the outside world.

The fact remains, approaching the upcoming game, we have now reached an intriguing moment in the lifespan of this approach. England could quite easily win in the next Test in a blur of adrenal disruption. Probably, defeat could come swiftly. In case of defeat it appears we really might be entering the decline.

Ahead of this, there are two things worth saying about this. More than two years ago, at the start, of passion and hope, I wrote an article labeling it a movement. There was outrage, which proved the point since it’s clear how to confirm something definitely isn’t a cult is when its acolytes send hundreds of furiously one-eyed messages rejecting criticism of the philosophy.

The developments recently are equally notable. Criticism of the approach has turned into a movement. Social media is furious, critical analysts, shots of angry middle-aged travelling fans disappointed by the short match, similar to people wanting fairness.

On the other hand, exists the larger scene of the host’s complex deep-seated frustration towards the unconventional visitors, stating, the methods you value and have developed as part of your identity from the opposition, it’s just a joke after all.

This is the core issue. All movements are similar. The approach was a phenomenon as the game has its own culture. Or at least, English cricket has always been a cult, a group, an elite gathering, a restricted environment with a long history of tradition and mystery supporting it. Historically, this was a place where power and access are hoarded. It’s the colonial game of the British, the original sports washers. And surprisingly, Britain is itself a cult, a series of esoteric hierarchies, a monarchy still exists.

England’s cricketers have been enclosed in this system from a young age. Attempting to break free, to foster positivity, they are mirroring their own experience, forming a new circle, a closed circle, however with a new team and a leader encouraging individuality as long as yourself is quite a lot like myself.

Stay present. Confront risks. However much you change, you remain stuck.

Considering this, now is the time to offer compassion for the movement, to acknowledge its merits, which are significant. How to define it? Encouraging expression. Defying norms. Batting aggressively|Attacking with