Ben Stokes says he would have withdrawn the controversial appeal that saw Jonny Bairstow dismissed on a dramatic final day of the Second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Bairstow was, technically speaking, out stumped by Alex Carey having ducked a Cameron Green bouncer and then wandered out of his crease, wrongly assuming that the ball had gone dead and the over concluded. Carey gathered and took a shot at the stumps, with Bairstow out of his ground by the time the ball collided and sent on his way after an umpire’s review.
The Yorkshire batter’s departure left England six down and still 178 runs shy of their target of 371, Australia eventually winning by 43 runs despite a heroic knock of 155 from Stokes.
"When is it justified that the umpires have called over?” Stokes told BBC Test Match Special. “Is the on-field umpires making movement, is that enough to call over? I'm not sure.
“Jonny was in his crease, then out of his crease. I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out. If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that.
“For Australia, it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”
Asked specifically whether he would, as captain, have withdrawn an identical appeal against an Australian batter, Stokes confirmed: “Yes”.
England, meanwhile, have confirmed their squad for the Third Test at Headingley, which starts on Thursday, with Matthew Potts and Rehan Ahmed left out of a 15-man group that is otherwise unchanged.
The hosts are hoping to have Mark Wood available to freshen up their seam attack, while Moeen Ali could return to the side after Stokes and Brendon McCullum opted not to play a specialist spinner at Lord’s.
No batters have been added to the squad despite Ollie Pope injuring his shoulder while fielding in the Second Test. The Surrey man was able to bat in both innings and will hope to be fit to keep his place in Leeds, with Dan Lawrence the alternative option in the squad.
