Last Updated: July 16, 2023, 10:27 AM IST
Alex Carey has no regrets over Jonny Bairstow’s stumping. (AP Photo)
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has opened up on the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow for the first time
The dismissal of Jonny Bairstow during the third Test of Ashes 2023 created quite a buzz with England accusing Australia of acting against the spirit of the game. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey punished Bairstow for being careless as the Englishman left his crease assuming the ball was dead only to be stumped.
The wicket came during a delicate phase of England chase on the final day at Lord’s resulting in a huge controversy. However, Carey is unfazed and says he will execute the dismissal again should there be an opportunity.
“If there was an opportunity to get a stumping … yeah,” Carey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Carey recalled an incident from his age-group days when he was also dismissed in a similar fashion that left him disappointed. However, his captain back then told him to take that as a lesson instead and avoid a repeat of it in future.
“I’ve definitely been out to that a few times, and I’ve tried to do it [to batters] in the past as well,” Carey said. “My first A-grade game in South Australia, I was out that way. And when I walked off, I was pretty disappointed. [My] captain came up to me, and he said, ‘You’ll remember to keep your foot behind the line next time’.”
Australia players were booed by the crowd at Lord’s in wake of the Bairstow dismissal with allegations of few MCC members abusing players in the Long Room during lunch break.
“We got some pretty instant feedback. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I absolutely respect that. And then everyone’s entitled to their opinion on the spirit of cricket as well. There’s a few chants that I was actually humming along to while I was batting, just trying to change the words a little bit,” Carey said.
“There’s some nasty stuff being said, but it is the Ashes. There was nasty stuff said before that as well. So yeah, I feel really well-supported. I think the whole group does. From Australia, I still think we’ve got lots of fans, and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any, but we probably didn’t lose any,” he added.
Carey says they had noticed Bairstow was leaving the crease on previous occasions leading up to the underarm stumping.
“We were switched on to the fact that it was a bouncer plan and it felt like Johnny was … getting out of the way, he wasn’t playing any shots,” Carey said.
“When he ducked, obviously his first movement was pretty much out of his crease so instinctively I grabbed the ball, threw the stumps down and the rest is history. He’s a fantastic player and obviously a big wicket in that match,” he added.
