‘Flog’: Piers Morgan taken to task by Australian great Merv Hughes amid English Ashes revenge

Merv Hughes is one of the biggest personalities in the country, and he’s just given an absolute serve to a gloating Pom after the English got one back at Headingley.

After yet another thrilling Ashes Test that saw England keep the series alive at 2-1 with a revenge match at Headingley, the English have taken every opportunity to bask in the success of a rare Test victory over the old enemy.

None more so than Piers Morgan, who has been public provocateur number one over the various scandals and dramas that have encapsulated the series so far.

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Morgan, having spent much of the last fortnight proselytising over the Jonny Bairstow dismissal at Lord’s, has rapidly found himself in the bad books of one Australian Test great.

Merv Hughes, who has been a steadfast supporter of the Australians and Alex Carey for his dismissal of Bairstow, has whacked Morgan in a simple yet brutal rebuke on social media.

Hughes is one of the biggest personalities in Australian cricket despite retiring over 25 years ago. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Morgan, high on the elation of an English win at Headingley courtesy of an Australian collapse late on day three, decided to poke the bear.

“Hi mate @MervHughes332 – need a hug,” Morgan asked sarcastically on Twitter.

“Flog,” came the blunt reply from Hughes.

Hughes and Morgan’s testy relationship over the course of this Ashes series began as Morgan looked to find an Australian cricketing figure to berate over the Bairstow dismissal on his TalkTV program.

“We can’t get a single Australian cricketer or journalist to come on (the show) to defend yesterday’s outrage,” he wrote.

“Any takers? Or should I assume you’ve all realised it’s beyond defending?”

Morgan would eventually host Australian journalist and broadcaster Melinda Farrell before then taking on Peter Lalor, The Australian newspaper’s chief cricket writer, but before that, he tried to get Merv Hughes, the bustling former fast bowler with 212 Test wickets to his name.

Piers Morgan speaks on Uncensored. Photo: YouTube.

After Hughes had taken to social media to tell English fans to “pull their heads in” and apologise after chants of “cheat” rang out at the Home of Cricket over the controversial (legal) dismissal, Morgan invited Hughes onto his show.

“Throw up spirit of cricket and bad sportsmanship, that’s what happens when rules and laws go against your argument,” Hughes wrote.

“So pull your head in, apologise, and get on with life.”

Morgan then proceeded to quote-tweet Hughes and invite him to “debate” the issue.

“Been asked and answered privately Piers – why would you take it to social media,” asked an irate Hughes.

Hughes then doubled down, appearing on radio with Ian Healy on SENQ to brand Morgan a “moron”, “attention-seeking” and a “flog” ahead of the third Test.

“Life’s pretty good hey, when you jump on social media and you see some moron like Piers Morgan having a crack at you,” he said.

“A producer of his show asked me privately if I wanted to go on his show and I declined respectfully, and said ‘no I don’t want to’ and then he puts it to social media.

“Like I said, he’s an attentionseeker and a flog.”

The fourth Ashes Test gets underway on July 19 at 8pm AEST, with the Australians 2-1 up in the series.