The drama continued in the ongoing Ashes series as the third Test kickstarted on Thursday, with Australia’s star batter Steve Smith being booed by the English crowd as he came out to bat in his 100th Test. The English fans, seemingly still furious over the incidents that transpired on the final day of the previous Test, remained hostile against the Australian side and had also previously booed Pat Cummins during the toss.
Former England cricketers and a host of cricket fans around the world were critical of the way Jonny Bairstow was dismissed in the second Test. The English wicketkeeper-batter, after leaving the delivery from Pat Cummins, began to walk out of the crease and Alex Carey – Bairstow’s Australian counterpart – proceeded to throw the ball towards the stumps. Bairstow was eventually declared out stumped; Australia won the match by 43 runs, thus leading the series 2-0.
Booing a player entering the field of play in their 100th test! 🤷🏼♂️#SpiritOfCricket
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) July 6, 2023
The dismissal created furor on social media with many claiming the Australian team played against the ‘spirit of cricket’. The act, however, was well within the laws of the game. Regardless, the England press hammered Australia as well, while both – captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum – heavily criticized the Australians for their approach.
And the anger hasn’t really subsided as the teams moved to Leeds for the third Test, with the crowd booing the Aussie players almost immediately following the start of the match. As Smith was booed upon his entrance to the ground, former Australia star Tom Moody criticized the behavior, citing ‘Spirit of Cricket’.
“Booing a player entering the field of play in their 100th test! #SpiritOfCricket,” Moody wrote on his official Twitter account.
In another tweet, Moody wrote that Spirit of Cricket is not a law but respect must be shown to opposition teams as well. “And that’s not a Law, it’s just showing respect for one another,” he wrote.
Australia needs only one more win to win the Ashes series while England, seemingly fired up after the Bairstow incident in the second Test, has a task cut out for the remaining three matches.
