Pat Cummins has reiterated his belief in the spirit of cricket and described his players’ interpretation of it as “impeccable”. Australia’s captain is braced for a hostile reception when the third Ashes Test begins at Headingley on Thursday, and has requested extra protection for the team’s families in case they become the subjects of abuse.
The atmosphere at Lord’s on Sunday became so vitriolic – when Australia’s dismissal of Jonny Bairstow caused indignation in England’s dressing room and fury in the stands – that Steve Smith’s mother, who is English, felt it necessary to leave the ground early, while the child of one of the team’s support staff was moved to tears.
“We’re in our partner period here so we’ve got loads of family and kids around,” Cummins said. “There might be an extra eye on them, where they are in the crowd, just to make sure everything’s fine.”
Three days on, Cummins said he would not change anything about his handling of the incident or his players’ approach to the game in general. “The team did nothing wrong so we’re all comfortable,” he said.
“The way our team’s conducted themselves over the last couple of years has been flawless. That showed again on day five at Lord’s. The way they conducted themselves in the Long Room was fantastic.
“Even the Mitchell Starc decision [when it was ruled that he grounded a catch] the night before, the ways our boys accepted it and moved on from it was really good. Our players were outstanding in that regard.”
Though many felt Bairstow’s dismissal contravened the much-vaunted spirit of cricket Cummins embraced the concept, describing it as “one of the beauties of our sport”. “I 100% think it’s a real thing,” he said. “At times there’s nuance to it and everyone might see it a little bit differently, which is fine, that’s part of it. You want to maintain respect for the opposition at all times, for the umpires, the fans, the game. It’s one of the strengths of our game.”
Cummins confirmed Todd Murphy’s selection in place of the injured Nathan Lyon, but has yet to select a full team. Having bowled, without a spinner, throughout the final day at Lord’s their seamers have had less recovery time than England’s and Australia will leave it as late as possible to judge their fitness. “The last couple of days us bowlers haven’t been here, we’ve been chilling out,” Cummins said.
