Salman Butt wondered if the two prime ministers have any other work to do.©Twitter
The ‘Spirit of Cricket’ debate took center stage after Australian wicketkeeper batsman Alex Carey controversially punched Jonny Bairstow on Day 5 of the 2nd Ashes Test at Lord’s last week. Bairstow evaded a bouncer from Cameron Green and left his crease to have a chat with England captain Ben Stokes, who was at the non-striker’s end. However, Carey threw the ball into the stumps, leaving everyone, including Bairstow, in disbelief. The decision was referred to the third umpire and the decision fell to Bairstow and England.
The incident has sparked heated arguments between current and former players from both teams. Even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have even exchanged verbal bouncers on the matter.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt wondered if the two prime ministers have any other work to do and asked Sunak and Albanese to watch the game first.
“The Prime Ministers have also jumped into the debate about the spirit of the game after the second Test. The question we should be asking them all is ‘Don’t they have other work to do?’ You watch the whole Test match first, and if your team loses, just applaud the superior team,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.
On the eve of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Stokes insisted it was time “everyone moved on” following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial sacking.
“I don’t think as a group we can boost more than we are to be honest. There has obviously been a lot of uproar over the incident at Lord’s last week, but from me as captain and from the England team I think the best thing everyone can do is have to do is just get off it,” Stokes said.
(with AFP inputs)
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