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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barney Ronay

UNBELIEVABLE: I was wrong to say bazball is a cult in fact it s actually a death cult - The Untold Story

Illustration depicting a 'Bazball' cricket bat with beard and sunglasses
‘Bazball’s vibe was key. The vibe was sitting on a balcony, sun rippling across interesting sunglasses, sculpted beard, artisan coffee …’ Illustration: Matt Johnstone

Two summers ago, with interest in the England Test team’s seductive new energy reaching an early peak, I wrote an article suggesting that Bazball was a cult.

There were some parts of the clinical definition of a cult that seemed analogous. A sense of mission. Charismatic, dominant individuals in charge. Presents itself as innovative and elitist. Aggressively hostile towards any kind of outside questioning.

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