After the second Ashes Test, the rivalry between England and Australia has suddenly flared up. Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal on the final day of the second Test sparked a series of attacks from both sides. Bairstow was called out when Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball to the stumps after the England batsman went out of his crease after ducking under a Cameron Green bouncer. There was confusion in the centre, Bairstow seemingly believing the ball was dead at the end of the over, but Australia were happy to continue with a very divisive call.
The umpires sent the decision up for review by TV umpire Marais Erasmus, who had no choice but to uphold Bairstow’s stupid dismissal.
After the dismissal, former players from both sides expressed their views on the matter. Even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made statements on the matter.
‘Talk TV’ presenter Piers Morgan, who has been quite vocal about the firing, tweeted a photo from an Australian newspaper that had photoshopped pictures of him, Ben Stokes, Geoffrey Boycott and Sunak.
“Aussie newspapers are taking my criticism of their cricket team’s foul play well…” Morgan tweeted alongside a photo from an Australian newspaper.
Australian newspapers take my criticism of their cricket team’s foul play well… pic.twitter.com/OK0i63MFzN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 4, 2023
“Australia needs to reflect on what they’ve done and make a full public apology. That way it will rectify the situation and everyone can move on. These teams have played brilliant cricket with great spirit and it’s a shame when something like this happens.” to spoil it all,” Boycott wrote in The Telegraph.
Meanwhile, Sunak’s spokesman suggested: “The Prime Minister agrees with (England captain) Ben Stokes who said he just wouldn’t want to win a game the way Australia did.”
A bitter row over the ‘spirit of cricket’ had been going on after Bairstow’s dismissal, with furious fans chanting “cheats” and England’s players clearly angry that Australia did not resign on grounds of fair play.
Members in the Lord’s Pavilion, the most exclusive part of the grounds, confronted the Australian team as they walked through the historic Long Room to their dressing room for lunch.
Australian batsmen David Warner and Usman Khawaja stopped to talk to members who were booing before stewards stepped in to usher the players away.
With AFP inputs
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