Australians have turned on each other after 7News Australia said former cricket star Brad Hogg turned on his "own country", while former player Ryan Harris hit out at journalist Phil Rothfield. Photo / Getty Images
Australians have turned on each other after 7News Australia said former cricket star Brad Hogg turned on his "own country", while former player Ryan Harris hit out at journalist Phil Rothfield. Photo / Getty Images
The cricketing world has been turned on its head after Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey stumped England’s Jonny Bairstow in controversial circumstances on the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
In a fiery session, tensions exploded when Bairstow walked out of his crease - almost immediately after ducking the last ball of a Cameron Green over - and Carey took the moment to throw the ball back at the stumps.
Australia went on to win the test, with the stumping proving the turning point, but it sent the cricketing world into meltdown.
The dramatic end to day five has seen a number of players, former stars, journalists and fans taking to social media to voice their views on the matter.
Australians have turned on each other after 7News Australia said former cricket star Brad Hogg turned on his "own country", while former player Ryan Harris hit out at journalist Phil Rothfield. Photo / Getty Images
Despite being on the winning side of the incident, the highly controversial stumping has even divided Australians, with some of the country’s most well-known sporting players and journalists turning on each other.
Former Australian cricket star Ryan Harris took the opportunity to rip into tabloid league journalist Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield after Buzz declared Carey’s runout of Bairstow a “shocking way to take a wicket”.
In response to Buzz’s demand to call Bairstow back to the crease, Harris responded: “You struggle with rugby league, best you leave cricket alone! Go to bed!”
You struggle with Rugby league, best you leave cricket alone! Go to bed!
Former Australian cult hero Brad Hogg also fired shots at his own cricket team, declaring Bairstow “not out” and hitting out at the side’s lack of respect for the “spirit of cricket”.
“Bairstow wicket, Not Out. Spirit of cricket pushed to the boundary,” he wrote.
“Not attempting a run, end of over, scratched crease then walked for the regulation BS chat between overs between batsman. [sic]”
Bairstow wicket, Not Out. Spirit of cricket pushed to the boundary. Not attempting a run, end of over, scratched crease then walked for the regulation BS chat between overs between batsman. #ashes#ENGvsAUS
Hogg’s take on the matter led to 7News Australia writing in a headline that the left-arm wrist spinner “turns on his own country” for voicing his views.
7 News Australia accused former Australian player Brad Hogg of turning on his "own country". Photo / 7 News Australia
On the other side of the ledger, a number of people have called out England for crying foul over the incident where they claim Australia broke the “spirit of cricket”.
The spotlight was then put firmly on England coach and former Black Caps legend Brendon McCullum.
He found himself in the firing line after he was called out for hypocrisy when he said Australia played against the “spirit of the game”.
“It was more about the spirit of the game,” McCullum said. “When you become older and more mature, you realise the game and the spirit of it is something you need to protect. You have to make decisions in the moment, and they can have effects on games and people’s characters.”
However, many fans on social media have pointed out several instances where McCullum had done a similar act during his career with the Black Caps.
In a 2006 clash between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka, McCullum ran out Muttiah Muralitharan, who had stepped out of his crease to celebrate a century for Kumar Sangakkara.
In 2005, McCullum stumped Zimbabwe’s Chris Mpofu, who also left his crease to celebrate a milestone, with Blessing Mahwire reaching 50.
In 2009, he made an identical move to Carey’s as he threw down the stumps after England’s Paul Collingwood left his crease. After initially being called out, Collingwood was recalled to the crease by then-New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.
Fans called out McCullum for his “short memory” and “hypocrisy” after his comments as England coach.
“Funny how things come full circle,” said one fan.
A friendly reminder to all England supporters - Brendon McCullum attempted to do the exact same thing to Paul Collingwood back in 2009.
It wasn’t just McCullum under siege - seamer Stuart Broad was also called out following his on-field antics.
Broad was on the offensive after arriving at the crease following Bairstow’s dismissal.
He was overheard on stump mic saying the Carey stumping was “literally the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket”, before telling the wicketkeeper: “You’ll forever be remembered for that.”
Broad didn’t stop there either. He continued to mock the Australians, theatrically pretending to leave his crease and scramble back.
But social media was quick to call Broad out for his childish antics when he was the Ashes villain in 2013 after he refused to walk despite clearly edging it to first slip.
Broad is fast to point the finger at Carey and take the high road, but the evidence against him is damning.
It looks like the veteran seamer has a short memory.
Broad and Bairstow were also the first ones to celebrate last year when England ran out Colin De Grandhomme, who was out of his crease during a bizarre passage of play.
While not a like-for-like scenario, the Kiwi was caught napping during an LBW appeal and wandered outside his crease when trying to locate where the ball went.
He was then run out, and England was happy to not withdraw its appeal.
In response to Bairstow, Stokes and Broad’s fury at the decision, many former England greats hit back calling for them to get over it.
Ex-England captain Mike Atherton didn’t have an issue with the stumping, saying: “England have nothing to complain about, it was a dozy bit of cricket from Jonny Bairstow.”
Another former England skipper, Nasser Hussain, described Carey’s move as, “Ruthless, smart, switched on.”
Former player Eoin Morgan didn’t have a major problem with it, either, saying: “I don’t see it compromising the spirit of the game.”
English commentator and former Middlesex skipper Isabelle Westbury said the stumping was fair, and pointed out that Ben Foakes’ controversial stumping of Andrew Balbirnie in 2019 received nowhere near the same amount of attention as Carey’s effort.
Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin, whose career has been riddled with controversial moments, including being involved in a Mankad incident, took a different approach.
He took to Twitter, saying instead of focusing on the controversy, we “must applaud the game smarts of the individual and highlight Carey’s genius”.
“We must get one fact loud and clear. The keeper would never have a dip at the stumps from that far out in a test match unless he or his team have noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did.
“We must applaud the game smarts of the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game.”
One punter decided to lighten the mood by posting a video that has since gone viral showing a brawl at a venue, accompanied with the caption: “Jonny Bairstow greeting the Australian team on the Long Room stairs at the end of the game.”
In one promoting the whiskey brand Johnnie Walker, the meme shows an image of man’s evolution.
On one end, there is an image of a caveman, and over time he evolves before finally becoming Bairstow, who is seen walking. It is accompanied with the caption “Keep walking, Johnnie Walker”.
Social media has poked fun at Johnny Bairstow. Photo / Facebook
Others also flooded social media at the expense of Bairstow.
Even The Beatles' famous Abbey Road photo has been dragged into the Bairstow debate! Photo / Facebook
Johnny Bairstow was the target of many online memes. Photo / Facebook
It appears Johnny Bairstow will be the target of memes for the next few weeks. Photo / Facebook
