Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal to ‘Sandpaper’ joke: UK and Australia PMs engage in cricket banter

During his meeting with Sunak, the Australian prime minister showed a piece of paper with the current score 2-1 to indicate Australia’s current lead in the Ashes. He also produced a picture of Bairstow’s controversial run-out to poke fun at the England team.

In reply, Sunak showed a picture of England players Chris Woakes and Mark Wood hugging after England won third test at Headingley. Sunak also made a reference to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, also known as the ‘Sandpaper Gate’, in which then-Australia captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft received heavy sanctions from Cricket Australia for their involvement in ball tampering.

“I am sorry, I did not bring my sandpaper with me,” said Sunak. The fourth Test will be played at Manchester from July 19 onwards.

England batsman Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal had overshadowed the second Test. With England on 193-5 and chasing a mammoth target of 371, Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey underarmed the ball at the stumps after batsman Jonny Bairstow left his crease at the end of an over during the fifth day of the match.

England captain Ben Stokes insisted he would not have wanted to win a game of cricket with the kind of dismissal that led to Jonny Bairstow’s controversial exit during Australia’s victory in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his country’s Ashes cricket team, after his U.K counterpart said a dismissal during the second test was against the spirit of the game.

“Same old Aussies – always winning”, Albanese said on Twitter. Albanese’s comment came after UK counterpart Rishi Sunak said he “simply wouldn’t want to win a game in the manner Australia did,” according to a spokesperson on Monday in comments reported by the BBC.

Asked whether Australia’s actions were not in keeping with the spirit of cricket, the spokesperson said “Yes”, the BBC reported.