The Ashes 2023: Bairstow’s dismissal isn’t just about cricket, says Rishi Sunak

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Paul Seddon, Political Correspondent 3 July 2023

Updated 6 hours ago

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Bairstow is controversially baffled by Curry

Rishi Sunak has accused Australia of breaking the spirit of cricket with the controversial dismissal of England’s Jonny Bairstow on Sunday.

Batsman Bristow faltered in the second Ashes Test after he walked away from his position in the apparent belief that the over was over.

A controversial wicket overshadowed Australia’s 43-run victory over the hosts at Lord’s.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said it was a fair dismissal within the rules.

However, his England counterpart Ben Stokes said that although he agreed with Bristow’s exit, he did not want to win a match “that way”.

The incident led to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owner of Lord’s, suspending three members for confrontations with Australian players.

Thinking the ball was dead and the end over, Bairstow left his ground as wicketer-keeper Alex Carey bowled the stumps and was delivered.

England manager Brendon McCullum said Bairstow believed the officials had declared the game over, meaning the ball was dead.

The dismissal was referred to the third officiating official, however, who decided that he was still playing and that Bairstow was indeed off the field.

Asked on Monday if Mr Sunak thought Australia’s actions were not in the spirit of cricket, his spokesperson said: “Yes”.

“The prime minister agreed with Ben Stokes. He said he simply did not want to win a match the way Australia did,” the spokesman added.

Despite Mr Sunak’s verbal firing at Australian cricketers, the Bairstow controversy is unlikely to spark a diplomatic incident between the UK and Australia.

When Mr Sunak met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Downing Street last May, the couple said they were looking forward to a summer of strong sporting rivalry between the two countries.

In response to Mr Sunak’s intervention, the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, told the BBC that every cricket follower would have a view on what happened to Lord.

“And these opinions you will hold firmly and put firmly,” he said. “The Ashes always had such moments.”

But his predecessor Alexander Downer took a more forceful stance, telling The Sun that the incident had made England look like “bad losers”.

“They lost and so now they’re screaming blue kills about it and it wasn’t fair. Boooooooooooooooooooo,” he added.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald defended his team’s actions, saying he did not see “much of the problem with it”.

He added, “There is no doubt that when a player leaves his flex, you seize the opportunity.”

The Laws of Cricket state that a ball is dead “when it is apparent to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as if it was in play”.

Image source, Getty Images

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Rishi Sunak is an ardent cricket fan and attended the fourth day of the Lord’s Test on Saturday

Stokes said: “When is it justified to call the umpires?

“I don’t question the fact that she got out because she got out,” he added. “Do I want to win a match like this? The answer for me is no.”

The dismissal, which left England needing 178 runs with four wickets remaining, created a hostile atmosphere, as the Australian team was booed by Lord’s traditionally subdued crowd.

It also led to angry exchanges in the Long Room, an area outside the team’s dressing rooms, between Australia’s players Usman Khawaja and David Warner and spectators.

The MCC said it had suspended three of its members after the “totally unacceptable” scenes and apologized to the Australian team.

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