The Ashes: Pat Cummins doubles down on Bairstow stumping call
Pat Cummins has dismissed commentary around his communication of the Jonny Bairstow stumping as a non-issue, but he still feels sympathy for Alex Carey.
Pat Cummins has dismissed commentary around his communication of the Jonny Bairstow stumping as a non-issue, but he still feels sympathy for Alex Carey.
The Australian captain revealed in the new Test documentary to be released on Prime Video on Friday that he had tipped to his wicketkeeper Carey to take a shot at Bairstow’s stumps the ball before the dismissal that polarised the Ashes.
However, Cummins does not believe it was a revelation at all, and insists it was made clear all along that he as captain had been intimately involved in the decision to try and execute Bairstow’s stumping, as had other players on the field.
“Look the funny thing with that, I think we were pretty clear at the time that a few of us had seen it (Bairstow habitually wandering out of his crease), and had passed that message onto Kez (Carey),” said Cummins in an interview promoting the Prime Video release of the anticipated third season.
“It’s a shame that Kez copped a fair brunt of it because he executed the play, but there was a few of us who also saw it.
“I can’t really remember (exactly how it transpired). I think maybe someone pointed to me and then I saw it, and then I told Kez, but I honestly can’t really remember.
“Those little things happen all the time where someone sees something and points it out. Whether it’s something tactically or field placements, whatever.
“I think it was one of those moments where a few people had seen it and I thought it was worth a crack.”
For his part, Carey himself does not believe that the blowtorch applied to him would have been any less fierce, even if it was better understood at the time that he was only following directions from his captain to throw down the stumps, rather than instinctively making the call himself in the moment.
However, Usman Khawaja suggested in an interview to this masthead, that although no one was to blame, it was regrettable that the public communication of how the dismissal transpired “was lost somewhere there, (and) all the blame went to Carey.”
The conjecture became relevant because Carey and his family were subjected to death threats, such was the vitriolic nature of the fallout, and teammates including Khawaja and Steve Smith said they held genuine concerns for Carey’s mental wellbeing after he was labelled public enemy No.1.
Carey told this masthead in a Prime Video interview this week that despite being given an order from his captain, he still had to be comfortable with throwing the stumps down, and that “I absolutely was.”
Cummins described Carey as the ultimate team man and is full of praise for his wicketkeeper’s strength of character.
“
It’s not pleasant if anyone ever gets singled out or if anyone cops anything, really,” Cummins said.
“No doubt for a few weeks there, the spotlight was on Kez a bit more than he deserved.
“Absolutely, and I keep saying, no one did anything wrong. So a lot of that anger was very misplaced and from our point of view, not fair.
“I felt for Kez, but it was the nature of the series.
“It was super high pressure on both teams, on all players, on all coaches. I don’t think anyone left that series not feeling like they weren’t under the blowtorch at some point.
“Kez is a great team man. He was a big part of us winning the World Cup last year as well.
Unfortunately he missed out on selection for (most of) the tournament, but the way he was around the boys, he’s great energy, he works hard, he’s great fun, he’s funny, it all adds up to a guy you’re just desperate to have in your team.
“That added to his amazing keeping abilities and runs. You couldn’t think of a better guy to have in your team.
“The innings he had in Christchurch (a Test match-winning 90 against New Zealand earlier this year), we were so pumped for him.”
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