The Ashes are one of the most high pressure competitions in international sports. After the institution of the Ashes trophy in 1882, many hard battles have been fought and many controversies have been witnessed as the arch rivals England and Australia faced off on the cricket field.
The latest controversy over the dismissal of England’s Jonny Bairstow may not die down soon. Already the atmosphere is strained and if more such incidents occur in the coming matches, the tension will escalate.
A war of words has erupted among supporters of both sides. But it was highly unusual that even the Prime Ministers of Australia and UK became involved. The incident has brought back to mind the political fallout of The Ashes series of 1932-1933 which came to be known as the Bodyline series and threatened the international equation between England and Australia.
The present dispute has arisen after the stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow by the Australian wicket keeper Alex Carey. Was the act in keeping with the spirit of sportsmanship? This issue sparked off an uproar not just among cricket fans but also at the highest levels of leadership of the two countries.
Ignoring his recent plunge in popularity ratings, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired the first salvo. Through his spokesperson he expressed his staunch support for the England captain Ben Stokes and accused Australia of dishonouring the spirit of sport. “The Prime Minister agrees with the England captain Ben Stokes who said that he simply would not want to win the game in the manner that Australia did,” Sunak’s spokesperson said.
There were also unprecedented scenes at the famous Lords cricket ground. Thirty-two thousand spectators jeered the Australian players when they came off the field. Inside the stadium, within the famous Long Room, all the old traditions and etiquette were discarded unceremoniously and some members shouted: “Cheats, cheats…Same old Australians. Always cheats.” Later three members were suspended by the MCC for their flagrant breach of the dignity and decorum of Lords. The MCC which owns Lords also issued an apology.
But all this did not satisfy the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He resented the fact that the UK PM and the public insinuated that Australians are cheats. Albanese tweeted: “I am proud of our men’s and women’s cricket teams. Same old Aussies…Always winning. Australia is right behind captains Alyssa Healy and Pat Cummins and their teams and look forward to welcoming them home victorious.”
But in reality, was Bairstow’s stumping acceptable? Was it in keeping with the spirit of cricket? To get an answer to that question this correspondent approached one of Hyderabad’s most experienced umpires, Parthasarathy Rajagopal, a veteran who has umpired many close fought battles in first class cricket.
“In this case there was nothing wrong with the wicket-keeper’s deed. The batsman was at fault. The wicket-keeper had just gathered the ball on the leg side into his gloves. It could not yet be called a dead ball. The batsman walked out of his crease immediately. So the wicket-keeper had every right to throw the ball at the stumps and claim a dismissal. Therefore the batsman was definitely out and it was his fault alone,” said Parthasarathy. If a veteran umpire of his stature has given the verdict then there can be no further doubt on this matter.
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