‘It’s all anyone wants to talk about’ – Michael Vaughan highlights England’s deficiency overlooking the Bairstow debacle

Michael Vaughan. (Photo Source: Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has shed light on the situation that transpired after the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the Lord’s Test. The former skipper feels that Bairstow’s stumping has deflected the attention of the cricketing fraternity away from England’s shortcomings.

The newspapers and media are rife with the ‘spirit of cricket’ debate in the aftermath of Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal. However, very less has been said about England’s loss in the first two matches of the Ashes. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels that England lost the Lord’s Test because of their lacklustre showing in the first innings. He also blamed the home side’s batting collapse that handed the Aussies a respectable lead.

“The Bairstow incident has actually been very convenient. It’s taken up all the column inches this week. It’s all anyone wants to talk about, to the point that you’d think that’s why they lost that game and are 2-0 down in the Ashes. It’s not. They lost that game because of how they bowled in perfect conditions on the first day, then their collapse from 188 for one to 325 all out,” Vaughan wrote in his column for stuff.co.nz.

The world is talking about an incident that has been blown out of all proportions: Vaughan

Talking about England’s position in the series, Vaughan admitted that the mood in the country is quite different that what it would’ve been in previous years. The fans are still backing Ben Stokes’ side to turn things around with much of the talk surrounding the Bairstow debacle.

“Normally at 2-0 down in the Ashes – which England have not been at home for a long time – you hear the first rumblings about reviews into the state of the game, and ripping up the county system. There’s none of that this time. England have a diehard cult following, and the world is talking about an incident that has been blown out of all proportion,” he added.