The Ashes 2023: Stuart Broad believes Pat Cummins will regret Jonny Bairstow call
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Broad clashes with Australia over Bairstow dismissal
England bowler Stuart Broad says he "would be amazed" if Australia captain Pat Cummins does not regret standing by his side's appeal for Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal at Lord's.
Bairstow was stumped in England's second-Test defeat after walking out of his crease thinking the over had ended.
England were angered by the incident but Cummins said it was "fair play".
"It was not the act that annoyed me, it was the fact they upheld the appeal," Broad told the Daily Mail., external
Australia went on to win by 43 runs and lead the five-Test series 2-0.
"Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, 'I got that one wrong', even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match," said Broad.
Broad replaced wicketkeeper Bairstow to join Stokes at the crease and was involved in fiery exchanges with the Australia players.
He told Carey "that's all you will be remembered for", and was later heard saying it was the "worst thing I've seen on a cricket field".
The Ashes 2023: Joe Root says he would've dealt with Bairstow dismissal 'very differently'
"The red mist came over me, too, when I arrived at the crease to replace Jonny, and some of what I said was picked up on the stump mics - which naively, given my experience, I didn't really think about," said Broad.
The 37-year-old also referenced how Australia had tried to change their image as a team following Australia batters Steve Smith and David Warner being given 12-month bans for ball tampering in 2018 after the infamous sandpaper controversy during a tour of South Africa.
Broad added: "I was angered by Australia's decision, particularly having heard their lines about creating a new legacy as a team, and how they have changed since the tour of South Africa in 2018.
"I just said to Pat on repeat: 'All these boos are for you, for your decision.' And: 'What a great opportunity you had to think clearly.'"
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also got involved in the row by accusing Australia of breaking the spirit of cricket. In response, Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, backed his team, and in a thinly veiled reference to Bairstow, told Sunak to "stay in your crease".
Cricket's laws say the ball is dead "when it is clear to the bowler's-end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play".
Bairstow was stumped by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who Cummins said had seen the England player leave his crease after previous deliveries during the over.
The third umpire ruled Bairstow to be out after the decision was referred up.
"That is the rules," said Cummins after the match. "That is how I saw it."
England coach Brendon McCullum said Bairstow believed the umpires had "effectively called over", which would mean the ball was dead.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said "ultimately the officiating third umpire decided it was out and within the laws of the game", and "I don't see too many issues with it to be completely honest".
Following the incident Australia, and in particular Cummins, were booed relentlessly by the Lord's crowd.
Television footage also appeared to show clashes between Australia's Usman Khawaja and David Warner and spectators in the Long Room as the tourists walked off for lunch.
Khawaja & Warner involved in Lord's Long Room altercation
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) suspended three members over the altercations.
"The Lord's crowd are obviously huge cricket lovers and never before have I seen a reaction from them like that. They were so angry," said Broad.
"At the end of that first session, the change from the roar the Long Room gave to Ben Stokes to the boos they reserved for the Australians walking in was stark. They knew way before that point how controversial a decision they had made.
"I am not saying that the MCC members shouting at players was right, but having toured Australia four times I certainly do not think hostile behaviour towards away teams is unusual."
Root urges fans to focus on supporting England
The third Test between England and Australia gets under way at Headingley on Thursday with the hosts needing to win to keep their hopes of regaining the Ashes alive.
Speaking to the media before the Test, batter Joe Root, 32, has called on fans to prioritise backing England and help recreate the atmosphere of the Ashes Test at the same ground in 2019.
Stokes scored a remarkable unbeaten 135 on that occasion as England chased a record 362 to beat Australia by one wicket, levelling the series at 1-1.
"Support England - that's the most important thing. You come to support your nations. It doesn't need to go beyond that, it should never go beyond that," said Root.
"Everyone should be here to enjoy the cricket on the field. That's what it should be about. It shouldn't be about anything other than that.
"Come here and support your team to the best of your ability, we'll play to the best of ours. Create that brilliant atmosphere that has been created at this ground for so many previous occasions, like in 2019, and we should have a fantastic week."
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