If there’s one thing the whole of Australia is obsessed by in the run-up to the 2025-26 Ashes, it is Jonny Bairstow’s stumping by Alex Carey in the third Test in 2023.
The incident, when Carey threw down the stumps after Bairstow wandered out of his crease thinking the over had been called, was a hot-button issue in England at the time, with the characterisation of Aussie cheats following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018 central to the outrage that was brought to the surface again.
Within the rules of the sport, it was nonetheless seen as underhand – literally in the case of the throw – given Bairstow was seeking no advantage in leaving his crease.
Yet in the two years since, it has largely been forgotten in the UK, with memories of the series marked by how lucky Australia were to escape with a 2-2 draw after England were denied a famous victory in the fourth Test thanks to the Manchester weather.
In Australia, so much of the preview content for the upcoming series has been focused on that one incident. Victoria Bitter – VB to the Australophiles out there – has even gone as far as publishing the laws of cricket on their cans this southern summer.
#EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/dDGCnj4qNm
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2023The VB advert that is currently gracing TV screens down under, sees Aussie Ashes legend Merv Hughes sitting in a leather chair saying: “The last time around the Poms forgot the oldest rule in the book – stay in your crease. So no one forgets this summer, we’ve put VB’s laws of cricket on the cans of cricket.”
Embarrassing for Asahi, the Japanese brewery who own VB, they have also had to run a disclaimer reading: “Our lawyers wanted us to note that VB’s laws of cricket are completely unauthorised by the Marylebone Cricket Club.”
The MCC are the official guardians of the laws, but the behaviour of some of their members in the Long Room in the aftermath of Bairstow’s stumping has again become big news in Australia after Usman Khawaja commented on the proposed reversal of the lifetime ban for one, saying: “I’m a big believer in second chances. If these guys have learned and they’re never going to spray players as they’re walking off the field 30cm from their face, that’s fine. But there needs to be some sort of remorse.”
When Carey was put up for media duties in Perth on Tuesday, he was asked, by the Australians of course, how it felt to be an Ashes villain.
“I haven’t really thought about that,” he said. “I’m excited to get out there Friday. I think the series shapes up to be a pretty good one, and there’s not too much hype that needs to be put on it to make it exciting.”
Carey’s form in 2023 dropped off a cliff after Lord’s, when he was roundly booed by English fans, averaging 14.2 across the final three Tests as Australia collapsed from 2-0 up to blow yet another chance to win their first way Ashes since 2001.
News filtered through on Tuesday that the Barmy Army had slapped a ban on travelling England fans booing Carey in this series. How did he feel about that?
“That’s nice to hear,” he said. “I don’t know if that will stand for the whole series. Ashes series you grow up watching, you’ve got your heroes, you’ve got your villains. It depends which side of the fence you sit on and that’s what makes it so special.”
The only problem was that the “news” – from The West Australian, where else? – was complete rubbish. Barmy Army chief executive Chris Millard confirmed as much to The i Paper.
The expected 40,000-plus English fans who have descended on Australia for the series, will boo all they like. They just won’t cross the line into outright abuse, which is more of an Australian way of dealing with Ashes villains. Just ask Stuart Broad.
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At the same launch event for the series in Perth, England’s Jamie Smith, Carey’s opposite number as wicketkeeper, was also asked about you know what. Has it been brought up within the England team? “It hasn’t at all,” came the reply.
And when asked if he’d be tempted to “do a Carey” during this upcoming series, he answered smartly: “Absolutely not. Someone said that out here I’d be too far back to hit the stumps. Especially when you try and do that stuff in a white-ball game, I’m useless at it, I wouldn’t hit the stumps anyway.”
Some say England’s Bazballers are living rent free in Aussie heads. Whether that’s true or not is in question. But that incident from 2023 certainly is.
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