Australia’s cricket team came under fresh attack on Tuesday from a Government minister who said you can’t expect “fair play” from them after the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow.
Veterans affairs minister Johnny Mercer also urged Ben Stokes’s England team to respond to the Aussies’ conduct by giving them a “good pasting” in the 3rd Test at Headingley which starts on Thursday. England batter and wicket keeper Bairstow was stumped in bizarre circumstances on a tense final day of the 2nd Test at Lord’s on Sunday.
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw down the stumps after Bairstow ducked the final ball of the over and walked off to talk to partner Stokes in the apparent belief the over had ended.
Mr Mercer told Sky News: “It wasn’t actually cheating... was it... this time, previously obviously they did the whole sandpaper thing and then when they got caught...crying all over the media. So, I don’t think you are going to get any particular fair play out of these, you have just got to give them a good pasting when you get the chance.”
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese threw his backing behind his country’s team. He messaged: “I’m proud of our men’s and women’s cricket teams. Same old Aussies — always winning!”
Stokes also laughed off a depiction of him in the West Australian newspaper as a crying baby with a new ball, tweeting: “That’s definitely not me, since when did I bowl with the new ball.”
In fact, it was Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith who broke down in tears in 2018 during media interviews over his role in the cricket ball “sandpaper” tampering scandal.
