Ashes 2023: Police step in over vile abuse directed at Alex Carey and family after Bairstow incident

Alex Carey says he endured vicious online attacks after his dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the Ashes. The Aussie keeper opens up about the impact the abuse had on his family.

Alex Carey has opened up about the “cruel and vicious” online attacks on his family which followed his controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the Ashes.

The Test wicketkeeper was forced to shut down his Instagram account while Cricket Australia’s cyber police investigated a relentless stream of vile abuse aimed at him, his wife Eloise and his young children by faceless online trolls.

Carey’s blossoming international career is played against the sombre backdrop of his father Gordon’s health battle against leukaemia, and as a Daffodil Day ambassador, he wants to build hope for cancer sufferers and raise vital funds for the kind of research which has helped save his dad’s life.

In his typically modest and selfless style, Carey doesn’t want to make a big deal of the abuse he and his loved ones were subjected to in the wake of the Bairstow stumping at Lord’s, but those close to him say what he and his wife endured was disgraceful, and his ability to rise above it, extraordinary.

“There was a lot of nasty comments that came my way, or came the family’s way, so post incident it was pretty aggressive and something new as well. I haven’t had that animosity come my way so that was new. It’s not uncommon for us players to receive these, but there was just a few more on this occasion,” Carey told this masthead.

Alex Carey wife Eloise and daughter Rose at the SCG earlier this year. Picture: Getty

“I didn’t really look into it much, I didn’t have to. I had a lot of people looking at it and monitoring it. You don’t really need to see them. A lot of comments got deleted. It did get pretty nasty from reports.

“Initially again, if your wife jumps online and you see (you) getting abused or even them getting abused for being your wife and kids, you probably don’t take it too well.

“But 24 hours or 48 hours after that, things simmer down and you understand you’ve done nothing wrong and nothing changes.

“I actually deleted Instagram for a week or so and just put the phone down and focused on being present with the family.”

The crowd mock Australia's Alex Carey after he is dismissed at Headingley, Leeds. Picture: Getty

Carey works closely with Ben Crowe, the mindset coach who has been a vital ally for Ash Barty, Dylan Alcott, Stephanie Gilmore and Pat Cummins in their careers.

Crowe said what Carey and family were subjected to should never be experienced by any athlete, and praised the couple for their incredible resilience and strength.

“I’ve never seen a stadium and a whole country just get so shocked and surprised and angered … which is funny in some regards, until it becomes serious. And then to Alex’s point, when he started getting those kind of messages, then he had to take it seriously in order just to protect his family first and foremost and protect himself,” Crowe told this masthead.

“Typically, opinions and judgments from others is exactly what they are (and it isn’t real), but when it starts getting to that cruel and vicious, direct attacks on you or your family, then suddenly it gets real.

Carey (centre) was thrust into the spotlight after the controversial Jonny Bairstow dismissal at Lord’s. Picture: Getty

“And you do have to elevate what’s required to protect yourself and protect your family in those situations.

“Alex’s leadership in the team, where he literally focuses on creating an environment for others to realise their potential means, no matter what happens to him – his ability to accept it, not make a big song and dance about it, then get back on task with how he can create an environment for his teammates to be successful is quite exceptional and I’ve seen huge growth in Alex over the last 12 months.

“To be frank, so many athletes could have just derailed and gone off the rails with that situation, or the families could have. Eloise is a strong person and both of them are super intelligent. I’m proud of Alex for sticking fat and holding his own.”

Crowe says a key pillar of Carey’s make-up is his family values, and that’s reflected in his close relationship with his father, Gordon, who has been his No.1 mentor in cricket and in life.

Alex Carey’s family cheered him on from home, including father Gordon (far right) in 2019. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Gordon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia two years ago and was in the middle of intense chemotherapy when Carey was called up to make his Test debut against England at the Gabba.

Carey said the fact his father is now in a solid place with his illness and was able to come and watch him play Test cricket in person for the first time last summer is a real life example of the power of Daffodil Day and the difference cancer research can make to families across Australia.

“The beauty of Daffodil Day is funding and being able to fund research to find cures and treatments for cancer patients, and in the last 10-15 years, they’ve found a type of medication which dad was able to access which gave him a much better opportunity at a success rate,” Carey said.

“He was lucky that that was found within the last decade or so.

“I spoke to his doctor, and without that drug, it probably looks a lot different for dad in terms of his recovery.”

The Bairstow fallout followed Alex Carey throughout the remainder of the Ashes. Picture: Getty

The fallout from the Bairstow dismissal followed Australia through the rest of the Ashes series, which they drew 2-2 after leading 2-0.

Carey concedes that the fact the stumping was executed on the last ball of the over did add an element of grey, but the wicketkeeper is adamant he did nothing wrong and would do it all again.

“Would I try and execute the dismissal again? Yeah, I would,” Carey said.

“It’s a stumping and I would always try and get a stumping if it’s available.

“I think the only thing that makes it somewhat questionable if you want to say that, it was the end of the over. So there might be people having their say on Jonny maybe thought it was the end of the over.

“But the trend was shown throughout that over (with Bairstow leaving his crease).

“Once it goes up to the third umpire and they deem it to be still live (the umpires had not called over), then that’s how I determine spirit of cricket. Respect the umpire’s decision.”

Originally published as Ashes 2023: Police step in over vile abuse directed at Alex Carey and family after Bairstow incident