‘Not one senior player among them questioned what they had done’ – Stuart Broad slams senior Australian players over Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal in second Ashes Test

England v Australia. (Photo Source: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The England pacer Stuart Broad is clearly miffed with the Australian cricket team’s approach after they won the Lord’s Test match, the controversy erupted when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed by the visiting stumper, Alex Carey on the last day of the play in an unusual manner. Notably, Bairstow was out of the crease as he thought it was a dead ball.

The English wicketkeeper, Bairstow’s dismissal ultimately affected the game, as Ben Stokes-led side lost the second Test match by 43 runs. In the same vein, Broad stated that Jonny’s dismissal on Day 5 of the Test match clearly upset the ‘Spirit of Game’. Veteran English pacer clearly took a jibe at senior players as he thought that after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, they would be keeping the morality of the game in high regard.

“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. That’s all you’ll be remembered for,” Broad was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“What amazed me, and what I told the Australians I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them questioned what they had done. Especially given what their team has been through over recent years, with all their cultural change. Not one of them said: ‘Hang on, lads. I’m not really sure about this.’ Not one of them thought,” the lanky England quick concluded.

Stuart Broad has bowled well in the ongoing Ashes 2023 series so far

Meanwhile, speaking of the 37-year-old, the England pacer has performed well in the Ashes 2023, as he has been leading the wicket-taking category with 11 wickets so far in two matches. In the second Test match at Lords, the home side was clearly on the way to win the game but after Bairstow’s dismissal and Ben Stokes got out on 155 run mark, the English side was 43 runs short.

Now after all the verbal spat, both teams will be heading towards the third Test match at Headingley, which is scheduled to start on July 6. After all these controversies and personal comments, clearly, the rest of the series would likely result in a gruelling battle between England and Australia.