England’s Jonny Bairstow calls out Australians after his Lord’s dismissal

Jonny Bairstow has turned on the Australians in the wake of his controversial Ashes dismissal, taking aim at their on-field behaviour.

England batting star Jonny Bairstow has pointed the finger at Australia’s on-field behaviour during the Ashes, declaring his controversial Lord’s dismissal could “tarnish people’s enjoyment of the game” if it was mirrored at lower levels.

In extracts from a new book about England and the Ashes series called Bazball published in the Telegraph in England, Bairstow called out several catches claimed by the Australians and backed his captain Ben Stokes’ view that his stumping by Alex Carey was not in the spirit of the game.

Despite England greats including former captains Michael Atherton and Eoin Morgan putting the blame on Bairstow for wandering out of his pitch as Carey threw down the stumps, Bairstow was adamant the Australians were in the wrong.

“If you’re starting out of your crease, you’re trying to gain an advantage. If you start in your crease, and not trying to take a run, and you finish in your crease … That’s the bit – if you try to gain an advantage, then it’s fair game. But if you’re starting in your crease, you’ve ducked, tap, tap, scratched. I’ve even dragged my bat, looked up, and then gone,” he said in the extracts.

“I’ve never seen it happen from someone starting in their crease. I don’t think you want that filtering down into kids’ cricket. Look at the Mankads and everything like that. You want young kids to be out there batting and having fun, not thinking about whether the fielders might do this or that.

Alex Carey throws the ball to run out Jonny Bairstow. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“It might tarnish people’s enjoyment of the game that we’re trying to get kids into. You want to be out there batting and bowling, rather than thinking about the 11 different ways you can get someone out.”

Bairstow’s teammate, Moeen Ali, went even further and said Australian captain Pat Cummins “missed” a chance to reset his team’s reputation in the wake of the sandpaper scandal in South Africa in 2018.

“I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is going to kick off now – Bluey (Bairstow) is fuming here’,” Moeen said.

“My view was it was out, obviously. I just thought it was a great opportunity for Pat Cummins to put to bed a lot of the things that have happened previously.

“Not just put to bed but take away that label they have had for a while with ‘Sandpapergate’.

“Firstly, if I was captain, I would hate to win a game like that. And secondly, a great opportunity missed for Australia.”

Bairstow pointed to Steve Smith’s catch of Joe Root in the first innings at Lord’s and also another instance where he claimed Marnus Labuschagne appealed for a catch that did not carry.

Bairstow was adamant he had “moved on” from the dismissal that caused ugly scenes in the members at Lord’s, with Australian players heckled and abused as they left the field.

Australian players are heckled as they walk past MCC members at Lord’s after Bairstow’s dismissal. Picture: Nine Wide World of Sports

“The decision was that I was out, and I moved on. I’ve not brought it up since. I’ve kept quiet. It’s on them. If that’s how they want to go about it and win a cricket game or what have you, then so be it,” he said.

“Ben (England captain Ben Stokes) has said what he said, and he’s right. There have been other bits. There’s conjecture around everything. Fingers underneath the ball when the ball’s still touching the ground. Celebrating when the ball has touched the ground. Marnus celebrated at Edgbaston at short leg.

“Then the one that Rooty fell to at Lord’s when (Smith) said his fingers were underneath the ball. However, they were splayed widely.

“But that was given out, that’s fine – it’s part and parcel of the game and the decisions the umpires give.”