How Steve Smith’s side executed the perfect sledging campaign to destroy Jonny Bairstow and England

AS England continued to cry foul over the leaking of head-butt-gate, Steve Smith cut through the hysteria saying his side simply delivered one of the most effective sledging campaigns in cricket.

Jonny Bairstow (centre) is comforted by captain Joe Root (right) after the 10-wicket loss.

STEVE Smith believes England may have headbutted their way into Ashes oblivion after Australia strategically destroyed Jonny Bairstow in the sledging war.

Even after Australia’s emphatic 10-wicket first Test triumph, rival captain Joe Root still appeared to be peddling a bizarre theory that the leaking out of “head-butt-gate” was some sort of baggy green conspiracy.

However, Smith cut through the hysteria and simply called the day four drama for what it was: perhaps one of the most effective sledging campaigns in cricket’s celebrated history of mental disintegration.

Cameron Bancroft and David Warner pepper Jonny Bairstow with sledges on day four at the Gabba.

Australia felt they could get inside Bairstow’s head, and after a barrage of sledging, the panicked batsman played a disastrous shot which ultimately triggered England’s epic capitulation, rammed home by headbutt victim Cameron Bancroft blasting a superb 82 not out on debut.

“Well, it was basically about trying to get Jonny off his game, to be honest with you,” said Smith.

“And I think it worked.

“With the way he got out, he got caught at third man playing a pretty ordinary stroke, to be fair.

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“We were just trying to get in his head and it happened to work.”

England’s decision not to hand down disciplinary action is extraordinary.

The incident occurred on the very first night England landed in Australia – just 24 hours after having the riot act read to them before they boarded the flight.

Bairstow was also on a warning after being fined 1000 pounds for breaking curfew on the night Ben Stokes was arrested.

England great Michael Vaughan said Bairstow “had a major problem” and expressed deep concern about his former team’s drinking culture.

Jonny Bairstow (centre) is comforted by captain Joe Root (right) after the 10-wicket loss.

Bancroft might have copped the head-butt in Perth four weeks ago, but on Monday he sliced and diced his opposite both on the field and off it, splicing an emphatic 173-run stand with David Warner into a brilliantly honest and humorous press conference that made Bairstow’s non-explanation look embarrassing.

It’s understood Bairstow was accompanied by at least one other England player on the night in question in Perth where he headbutted Australian opener Bancroft, at the time playing for WA.

Despite Bairstow and Root trying to blame Australia and the media for “blowing it up out of all proportion”, England coach Trevor Bayliss couldn’t help but lay bare his bitter disappointment with the “dumb” actions of his own players.

Bayliss insisted the issue was minor, but at the same time was smart enough to see that Bairstow had put himself in a forgettable position where he had made himself fair game to Australia’s sledging.

Bairstow has failed to handle the crisis well on the field or off it.

“Any team at this level will take any opportunity to get stuck into the opposition and make them feel uncomfortable wherever possible,” said Bayliss.

“If you put yourself in that situation you’re fair game.

“We have got to be very careful we don’t do that in the future.

Cameron Bancroft (left) leaves his skipper in stitches during the post-match presser.

“They mentioned it to get under Jonny’s skin as may have been done a few years in England (when David Warner allegedly hit Joe Root).

“I thought that after (the Ben Stokes incident in) Bristol (they would learn) … they’d be extra dumb or stupid if they didn’t now.”

Triple M’s stump microphone broadcast audio from their day four commentary which captured Warner sledging a player purported to be Jimmy Anderson with “you shouldn’t headbutt our mates.”

There was a suggestion Cricket Australia would speak to Triple M over stump mic protocols.

Peter Handscomb was also captured giving Bairstow a gobfull out in the middle.

Warner was completely nailed by Cricket Australia four years ago when he was involved in a similarly minor fracas with Root at a Birmingham nightclub.

However, the ECB have done nothing to dismiss the growing feeling they have disciplinary issues with alcohol by already determining that Bairstow has no case to answer.

England management were due to read the riot act to their players after the first Test loss.

Smith said he wouldn’t comment on England’s attitude to player behaviour, but Root risked attracting the ire of the Australians by declaring Warner’s incident in 2013 was far worse than Bairstow’s headbutt.

“I can see why people see that (Warner comparison) on the surface from how blown out of proportion it’s been taken,” said Root.

“I think there’s two very different incidents and we’ve got to be very careful we don’t fall into that trap that there were two incidents that were the same, because they’re definitely not.”

Originally published as How Steve Smith’s side executed the perfect sledging campaign to destroy Jonny Bairstow and England