Daniel Andrews says England’s Jonny Bairstow should have simply walked

The Victorian Premier has pitched up some free advice for English cricket, saying Jonny Bairstow should have walked and reminding them nobody likes a “sore loser”.

Daniel Andrews has weighed into the Ashes stumping furore, saying England’s Jonny Bairstow should have simply walked.

“He was out of his crease,” the Victorian Premier said on Wednesday.

“So he is out. No one likes a sore loser. You’re out of your crease. Bails are off. You are gone. Walk, it’s simple.”

The comments from Andrews came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese poured fresh fuel on the feud between Australia and England, saying the English cricket squad needed to “harden up”.

Jonny Bairstow’s stumping ignited a sporting furore. Picture: Getty Images

“When I was learning to play cricket, as every Australian does at primary school, the nuns at St Joseph Camperdown knew: put your bat in the crease. Stay in your crease. It’s not hard,” Mr Albanese told the Today show on Wednesday.

“Jonny Bairstow knew when he tried to run out Marnus Labuschagne just a couple of days earlier … harden up!”

Mr Albanese said he expected the matter would be a talking point when he meet British PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the NATO summit next week.

“It is not surprising that Rishi Sunak is a little bit disappointed … I’m sure that we will have good-hearted banter.”

Mr Sunak on Monday addressed the sporting spat in a statement, saying: “The prime minister agrees with (England cricket captain) Ben Stokes, and he said he simply wouldn’t want to win a game in the manner Australia did.”

England has claimed Australia has trashed the spirit of cricket after Australian wicket keeper Alex Carey stumped Bairstow after he wandered out of his crease at the end of an over.

Veteran England paceman Stuart Broad has said Australia should have withdrawn its appeal as Bairstow did not believe the ball was still in play.