"Teams I have been in, they have got probably more intelligent players" - Merv Hughes on Jonny Bairstow's stumping in 2nd Ashes Test
Merv Hughes has said that players in the teams he was a part of were intelligent enough not to be stumped like Jonny Bairstow was in the Lord's Test.
Bairstow was stumped by Alex Carey off Cameron Green's bowling in England's second innings of the second Test against Australia at Lord's. The hosts eventually lost the game by 43 runs to go 2-0 down in the five-match series.
During an interaction on the SEN podcast 'Breakfast with Pat and Heals', Hughes was asked whether a Jonny Bairstow-like stumping had happened in teams he was in or teams against whom he has played, to which he responded:
"I don't think so because teams I have been in, they have got probably more intelligent players. They respect the game and wouldn't leave the crease. Heals (Ian Healy), in a situation like that you are standing behind the stumps, you see a batter leave the crease three times before the final ball is bowled, ball is bounced to you, what do you do?"
While praising Alex Carey for the direct hit, the former Australian pacer opined that the dismissal cannot be debated:
"Do you just let it go or would you make a statement? Probably nine times out of ten the ball misses the stumps but Alex Carey is a genius, he has hit the stumps. To me, it's black and white, there is no grey area."
All cricket experts have acknowledged that Bairstow was dismissed legally. However, a few pundits have questioned if the spirit of cricket was breached and whether he should have been given a warning.
"If you don't want to get stumped or run out, stay in your crease" - Merv Hughes on Jonny Bairstow's dismissal
Merv Hughes had some advice for batters if they don't want to get dismissed similarly:
"Everyone says it's against the rules of the game but to be honest, if you are a batter, if you don't want to get stumped or run out, stay in your crease, as easy as that."
The sexagenarian pointed out that Bairstow himself was looking to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne similarly in Australia's first innings:
"They have come out and said we wouldn't have upheld the appeal, it's unsportsmanlike, but if you have a look at Jonny Bairstow in the first innings, he had a go at Marnus Labuschagne, trying to throw the stumps down. Are you telling me if that hits the stumps, England are going to say - 'No, no, it's alright, Marnus you keep batting'."
Hughes concluded by observing that it wasn't dead ball because the umpire hadn't signaled the end of the over. He added that he has played a lot of cricket and was never out in that fashion because he was always aware of where the ball was, which wasn't the case with Bairstow.