Pat Cummins hits English reporter with glowing response after shock question about Ashes ‘cheating’, as Australian coach slams Brendon McCullum’s reaction to Bairstow scandal
- Pat Cummins responded to the English sports journalist
- Accused of ‘cheating’ in second Ashes test at Lord’s
- Following the firing of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is happy to play the pantomime villain to reporters if the post-game press conference after his team’s second Test win at Lord’s is any guide.
It comes after the 30-year-old was asked by English sports reporter Mike Walters if he was comfortable with his team “cheating” following the controversial but legal sacking of Jonny Bairstow on the fifth day of the clash.
Cummins’ response showed that he has ice in his veins.
‘Pat, is there such a thing, or do you believe in something like the cricket spirit?’ asked Walters, a scribe for the Daily Mirror, to which Cummins replied ‘yes’.
Walters then asked an aggressive follow up question.
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is happy to play the pantomime villain to reporters if the post-game press conference at Lord’s is any guide.
“Do you think after Bairstow’s sacking today, that he was within the letter of the law, not discussing that, but are we in danger of seeing Mankads or underarm bowling later in this series?”
Mankads occur when the bowler takes out the bails mid-pitch with the batsman at the non-striker’s end out of the crease.
Underarm bowling refers to an incident in 1981, where Trevor Chappell, on the instructions of his older brother, Australian captain Greg, bowled a pitch that barely got off the ground, ensuring Australia did not lose an international match of one day against New Zealand. at the MGC.
Fast forward to the showdown at Lord’s and Cummins was far from intimidated, cheekily telling Walters: “Depends how flat the windows get… It could be an option to go with.”
Walters later tweeted that he was the journalist who pushed Cummins, before taking another dig at Australian cricket.
“But I’ve never used sandpaper to change the condition of a ball and I’ve never thrown my armpit across the ground when I needed six off the last ball,” he posted, referring to the infamous scenes in Cape Town in 2018 during the series against South Africa that led to bans for David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.
“Cummins answered the question with good humour, fair play, but the stains on Australia’s reputation remain.”
The simmering tension comes as Australian coach Andrew McDonald declared he was “disappointed” with his English counterpart Brendon McCullum’s reaction to the Bairstow defeat.
“I can’t imagine we’re going to have a beer with them any time soon,” McCullum enthused after the Aussies took a 2-0 series lead at the home of cricket.
McDonald said he was first hearing the comments when he went before reporters, and had not spoken to McCullum after the game.
Australian manager Andrew McDonald was “somewhat disappointed” after his English counterpart Brendon McCullum suggested his team was unsportsmanlike.
McCullum enthused after the sacking of Jonny Bairstow on day five of the second Ashes Test, stating that the squads were unlikely to enjoy a beer together.
“I’m kind of disappointed about that,” McDonald said.
The Australian manager said Bairstow’s sacking as he came out of his fold was the simple execution of a plan and did not contravene the spirit of cricket.
“There’s no question that when a player leaves his crease or leaves his ground at certain periods of time, you take advantage of that opportunity,” he said.
“I think (captain Pat Cummins) relayed that there was a talk about Jonny leaving the box and Alex Carey took advantage of that opportunity – the ball is still alive in our minds.
“It was sent up and ultimately the officiating third referee decides it’s out, it’s within the laws of the game.” I don’t see too many problems with it, to be perfectly honest.
