Alex Carey breaks silence after controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in Ashes 2023
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has finally opened up on the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow from the second Test of the ongoing Ashes 2023 series.
Carey dismissed Bairstow on the last ball of Cameron Green's over when the England batter ducked a short delivery and left his crease for a chat with non-striker Ben Stokes at the end of the over.
Cricket.com.au reported that Carey had a similar incident during his days as a junior cricketer. When he was 15, he was dismissed in a similar fashion while playing for Glenelg's A-grade outfit in Adelaide Premier Cricket.
His captain Ben Hook told a then 15-year-old Carey:
"You'll remember to keep your foot behind the line next time."
Since the dismissal was legal as per the rules of cricket, Carey felt that he did not commit a crime by dismissing Jonny Bairstow the way he did at Lord's in the second Test.
"We were switched on to the fact that it was a bouncer plan and it felt like Johnny was … getting out of the way, he wasn't playing any shots," Carey said.
"When he ducked, obviously his first movement was pretty much out of his crease so instinctively I grabbed the ball, threw the stumps down and the rest is history. He's a fantastic player and obviously a big wicket in that match," he added.
Alex Carey opens up about the chaotic fortnight that followed his stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord's, and a painful lesson as a 15-year-old that was eerily similar #Ashes
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"As soon as I got it, (I) threw it straightaway" - Alex Carey addresses the 'Spirit of Cricket' debate
England cricket experts and fans started talking about 'Spirit of Cricket', arguing that Alex Carey's actions were against the spirit of the game. Carey, however, was surprised to see so much noise outside the field for a dismissal that was legal in the books of cricket.
"As soon as I got it, (I) threw it straightaway. Then, I guess once the bail has come off, it's up to the third umpire to deem it out or not out, or the on-field umpires as well and it was given out. To see how much it has played out since then has been a little bit surprising," he said.
Alex Carey has opened up on the stumping of Jonny Bairstow, and says he'd do it all over again.
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Carey concluded by saying that in hindsight he would try for a stumping again if there were similar circumstances again.