Brendon McCullum has indicated England could skip post-series beers with Australia, with his side furious over the Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s on day five.
While veteran seamer Stuart Broad lashed out at Alex Carey over the controversial dismissal of Bairstow by sledging the keeper with “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for” in a comment that was picked up by the stump microphones.
Broad was also overheard saying Carey’s stumping was “literally the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket”.
He kept up the gamesmanship by mocking Carey at the end of several overs by deliberately placing his bat well behind the crease and asking the fielders if the ball was officially dead so he could move out of his crease.
Social media lit up with the hypocrisy of Broad’s comment given his infamous decision not to walk after edging Ashton Agar to slip in the 2013 Ashes series.
Bairstow’s stumping has remained the main talking point out of another thrilling Test, with Australia holding on to claim a 43-run victory and 2-0 series lead.
But England were left stunned when Bairstow walked out of his crease after ducking a Cameron Green ball, only for Carey to underarm the ball at the wicket and have him stumped.
England captain Ben Stokes claimed after the match he would have withdrawn the appeal had he been in Australia’s shoes, reasoning that Bairstow had thought the ball was dead and it was over.
Australia have argued the decision lay with the umpires, and Bairstow left his crease before over was called.
England coach McCullum took Stokes’ complaints one step further after play, when describing relations between the two teams.
“I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer with them any time soon,” McCullum told the BBC.
“We have three Tests to land some blows and try and win the Ashes. That is where our focus will be.”
McCullum also indicated he would have ensured England would have withdrawn the appeal, while attacking Australia’s sportsmanship.
“I was lucky enough to play for a long period of time and you learn over a long period that the game and the spirit of the game is so vital to this great game,” McCullum said.
“It’s one thing we’ve got that other sports maybe don’t have, and to uphold that is such an important part of it.
“In the end you’ve got to live with the decisions you make, and that’s life.
“But I feel from our point of view, if we were in the same situation, we might’ve made a different decision.”
McCullum’s comments are likely to raise eyebrows in Australia’s camp, after he twice ran players out through his New Zealand Test career as batsmen were celebrating milestones.
Ben Stokes speaks to the umpires after Jonny Bairstow was run out. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The Bairstow wicket left England 5-193 in pursuit of 371 for victory, before a counter-attacking 155 from Stokes allowed England to get 327 before they were bowled out in pursuit of 371.
Australia were jeered continually by the crowd after that point, and have claimed they copped verbal abuse and physical contact from fans as they walked through the Lord’s Long Room at lunch.
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, though, is adamant there was nothing wrong with the dismissal, and pointed towards similar actions from Bairstow to roll the ball at stumps after gloving it during the match.
“You see Jonny do it all the time, he did it day one to (David) Warner, he did it in 2019 to Steve (Smith), it’s a really common thing for keepers to do,” Cummins said.
with AAP
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