England keeper Bairstow allegedly headbutted Aussie opener in club

There are allegations England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow headbutted Cameron Bancroft in a Perth nightclub.

Engalnd wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow talks to team security chief Sam Dickason yesterday. Picture: Getty Images

England is attempting to play down the incident between Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft late last month in Perth.

Captain Joe Root said after play that people had made “a mountain out of a molehill”.

BBC reported that director of cricket Andrew Strauss would meet with players after the Test but was not concerned by reports of the wicketkeeper head butting the Australian.

“It was playfulness, no malice, blown out of all proportion. There will be a debrief of all players and staff after the Test match,” the BBC reported Strauss saying.

Audio from the stump microphones picked up David Warner saying to Bairstow “you shouldn’t headbutt our mates”.

Bairstow defended himself saying it was “playful”.

The problem for England is that Bairstow was already under a caution for being out the night Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were involved in a nightclub brawl ahead of the tour.

Stokes is being investigated by the police for the violent incident.

The incident between Bairstow and Bancroft, who was not in the Australian side at the time, happened the night England arrived in Perth.

The Australians believe the incident is similar to what happened between Warner and Joe Root in 2013.

The Australian missed two Tests as a consequence of that nightclub scuffle but has stayed out of trouble since.

EARLIER

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow allegedly headbutted Australian opener Cameron ­Bancroft in a Perth nightclub ­earlier this month.

A number of sources confirmed to The Australian the incident occurred.

The players were talking in the nightclub when the incident ­occurred — Bancroft plays for Gloucester in England this year and Bairstow for Yorkshire.

The Australian was not seriously hurt and is believed not to have mentioned the alleged attack to Cricket Australia.

Teammates only found out this week and were incensed after a similar scuffle saw Dave Warner disciplined in 2013.

There were a number of angry exchanges between the Australians and Bairstow during play in Brisbane yesterday.

The incident comes while the England board awaits the results of an inquiry into a violent late-night altercation between Ben Stokes and two men outside a ­Bristol nightclub.

Bairstow was batting well in the England innings yesterday before playing a loose shot that threw his innings away.

England management denied any knowledge of the incident when approached yesterday but the popular Englishman was seen in conversation with the team’s ­security chief soon after inquiries were made.

The Australian understands the incident happened late at night when England was in Perth for a warm-up match.

Bancroft, who was at that stage barely on the radar to be selected for Australia, lives in Perth and was at The Avenue nightclub with other players.

Cricket Australia did not respond to inquiries last night, but The Australian understands that England team officials were scrambling after play to manage the situation.

Warner missed the first two matches of the 2013 Ashes after a scuffle with current England ­captain Joe Root.

England did not respond to ­inquiries last night but there were attempts from the ECB to ­approach Bancroft, who is playing his first Test and scored a half ­century yesterday.

The story comes amid increasing concerns about a drinking culture in the England team following the Stokes incident, which also involved teammate Alex Hales.

Team management decided against introducing a curfew or drinking ban on the players in Australia despite repeated ­incidents.

England coach Trevor Bayliss dismissed suggestions there should be tighter controls on his side.

“The players sat down and had a chat. They are the ones who have come up with this,” he said ­recently.

“There are no set curfews, they are just sensible rulings.

“To me, it’s what we should have been sticking to anyway as players or people around a professional set-up.

Former captain Michael Vaughan told the team that he heard about Stokes drinking until 3am during the recent Manchester Test. Hales and the all-rounder were out at 2am when the fight happened outside a Bristol nightclub.

“If I knew it and the media knew it, how come anything wasn’t done to Ben Stokes in the England team?” Vaughan asked.

“Yes, (Stokes is) 26 years of age, he should be more mature, he has made a massive mistake and I have no sympathy for Ben Stokes whatsoever.

“But the management of the England team have to look at themselves in the mirror and say, ‘Hang on a minute, could we have done a bit more? Could we have been a bit stricter?’.

“I am not saying I want a headmaster and have a curfew and say,’ You have got to be in your room by 11pm and you can never drink’, but there is a time and a place and I just think now, with what has gone on this week, the culture of cricket has to change quickly.”