UK PM Rishi Sunak backs Ben Stokes’ stance over Jonny Bairstow dismissal

Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal in the Lord’s Test which Australia won by 43 runs has now reached the office of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. As per the PM’s spokesperson, Sunak said that he wouldn’t “want to win a game in the manner Australia did”.

England’s Bairstow was stumped by Australia wicket-keeper Alaex Carey in a clever fashion on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test.

Biarstow ducked a bouncer from Cameron Green and started to walk out of the crease even when the ball was in play. Carey, aware of Bairstow’s mistake, was quick to hit the stumps with an underarm throw. The appeal for the stumping dismissal caught Bairstow off guard and while Australia skipper Pat Cummins had an opportunity to withdraw the appeal, he didn’t.

Eventually, England were bowled out on 327 chasing a target of 370 as Ben Stokes made a heroic 155.

“The prime minister agrees with Ben Stokes. He said he simply wouldn’t want to win a game in the manner Australia did. The game did provide an opportunity to see Ben Stokes at his best and it was an incredible Test match and he has confidence England will bounce back at Headingley,” Sunak’s spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

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After the match, England captain Ben Stokes had also questioned the dismissal.

“When is it justified that the umpires have called over? Is the on-field umpires making movement… is that enough to call over? I’m not sure,” Stokes said.

“I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”

Bairstow’s dismissal also led to some off-the-field altercations as a few Australian players including Usman Khawaja were allegedly abused by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members in the Long Room at the Lord’s.

MCC has now announced that three members have been suspended and they “will not be permitted back to Lord’s whilst the investigation takes place”.

“MCC can confirm it has suspended three Members identified earlier today. They will not be permitted back to Lord’s whilst the investigation takes place and were informed of this by MCC Chief Executive, Guy Lavender, this evening,” an MCC spokesperson said.

“We maintain that the behaviour of a small number of Members was completely unacceptable and whilst there was no suggestion by Pat Cummins in the post-match press conference that there was any physical altercation, it remains wholly unacceptable to behave in such a way, which goes against the values of the Club. MCC condemns the behaviour witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia.”

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