Geoffrey Boycott has told Australia to issue a public apology (Pictures: Getty)
Sir Geoffrey Boycott has called on Australia to issue a public apology for the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow during the Ashes Test at Lord’s.
The contentious dismissal has overshadowed Australia’s 43-run win which put them 2-0 up in the five-match series.
Believing the ball to be dead, Bairstow left his crease as wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw down the stumps. The Yorkshire stood, bemused, before he was given out by the TV umpire.
The dismissal created a hostile atmosphere at Lord’s, with the Australian team booed by the crowd and confronted by MCC members during the lunch interval.
Australia captain Pat Cummins defended the ‘fair’ dismissal but England’s Ben Stokes said he would not want to win in ‘that manner’.
England legend Boycott has gone even further, suggesting that Australia need to make a ‘fulsome public apology’ after making a ‘mistake in the heat of the moment’.
‘If you want to win at all costs then cricket should not be for you,’ he wrote in a column for the Daily Telegraph. ‘We want people to play hard and fair but surely there are standards to uphold.
The Jonny Bairstow dismissal – what’s all the fuss?
In the scorebook it will forever read: Bairstow 10, b Green, stumped Carey
But that barely tells half the story. In the most controversial moment of this Ashes series, England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow was stumped by Australian counterpart Alex Carey.
So what happened?
Bairstow was 10 not out during England’s chase of 371 on the final day of the second Ashes Test when he ducked under a Cameron Green bouncer.
On autopilot, he marked his guard and began to walk down the pitch to greet his batting partner Ben Stokes between overs.
But while Bairstow presumed the ball was dead – taking all forms of dismissal out of the equation – Carey immediately threw the ball back at the stumps.
Bairstow was well out of his crease by the time the ball hit the stumps and the bails were dislodged and Australia began to celebrate in front of a bemused Bairstow.
Bairstow and Stokes briefly spoke to the Australian team and the umpires and as Cummins decided not to withdraw the appeal, the dismissal stood.
Boos rang out around Lord’s and would persist for the rest of the day as Australia won the match by 43 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the Ashes.
What do the laws say?
By the letter of the law, Bairstow had to go. The MCC’s Laws of Cricket state:
20.1.2: The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.
So while Bairstow clearly believed the ball to be dead, Australia – and crucially Carey – did not.
Of course want the laws do not consider is the fairly nebulous concept of ‘Spirit of Cricket’. Some have suggested that as Bairstow was not trying to gain an unfair advantage, Australia should have withdrawn the appeal, or at least warned him before the dismissal.
What did the captains say?
England’s Ben Stokes: ‘Taking the whole situation into consideration, the first thing to say is it is out. The thing I had to consider when I was out there was the fact it was the last ball of the over.
‘I very shortly questioned the umpires whether they had called over; both were making the gesture towards walking to their opposite positions.
‘Jonny left his crease to come out and have the conversation in between overs like every batter does and I think if I was fielding captain at the time, I would have put a lot more pressure on the umpires to ask them around what their decision was around the over.
‘Then I would have had to have a real think around the spirit of the game and would I want to potentially win a game with something like that happening – and it would be no.’
Australia’s Pat Cummins: ‘Alex [Carey] saw it happen a few balls previously [Bairstow leave his crease]. There was no pause, he caught it and straight away had a throw at the stumps.
‘I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. I know some people might disagree.’
‘When batsmen are not trying to take an advantage then you should not follow the letter of the law. Apply some common sense.
‘If a batsman is trying to pinch some ground, as in a Mankad situation, then that is different. But Jonny was not trying to steal a run.
‘Australia need to have a think about what they did and make a fulsome public apology.
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‘That way it will redress the situation and everyone can then move on. These teams have played brilliant cricket in great spirit and it is a shame when something like that happens to spoil it all.
‘Australia have now had time to think about what happened. We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment.
‘People will think better of the Australians if they put their hands up and say “we got it wrong”. That is the way to go. Let’s see over the next few days if they are man enough to do that.’
The MCC has confirmed it has suspended three of its members after the altercation in the Lord’s pavilion.
Jonny Bairstow was contentiously stumped (Picture: Getty)
‘They will not be permitted back to Lord’s whilst the investigation takes place,’ the MCC said in a statement.
‘We maintain that the behaviour of a small number of members was completely unacceptable and whilst there was no suggestion by Pat Cummins in the post-match press conference that there was any physical altercation, it remains wholly unacceptable to behave in such a way, which goes against the values of the club.
‘MCC condemns the behaviour witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia.’
MORE : England captain Ben Stokes speaks out on Jonny Bairstow controversy
MORE : Michael Vaughan tips England to keep Ashes alive in third Test against Australia
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‘If you want to win at all costs then cricket should not be for you.’