Australian cricket player Pat Cummins has made a cheeky statement about using underarm bowling and non-striker run-outs if England continues to offer flat wickets during the remaining three Tests of the 2023 Ashes. The comment came in response to a taunt-like question from a reporter in the post-match press conference after the second Ashes Test.
During the match, England’s Jonny Bairstow was stumped by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the 52nd over. Bairstow had left the ball from Cameron Green and wandered off to chat with his non-striker, Ben Stokes, without checking with the wicketkeeper or the slip cordon. Carey took advantage of the opportunity and threw the ball at the stumps, catching Bairstow out of his crease.
Although the dismissal was legal and wicketkeepers frequently attempt such run-outs, a debate ensued regarding whether England should have withdrawn the appeal due to it supposedly going against the Spirit of the Game.
The reporter asked Cummins about his belief in the Spirit of Cricket, to which he responded affirmatively. The reporter then asked if Australia would also consider employing non-striker run-outs and underarm bowling, both of which carry their own controversial history.
In response, Cummins playfully taunted England for hosting the Ashes on flat pitches that support their batting style. He suggested that Australia would resort to such tactics if England continued with the trend.
The reference to underarm bowling brought up memories of a famous incident from 1981, when Australia’s Trevor Chappell bowled a ball underarm to New Zealand’s Brian McKechnie in an ODI match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was the last ball of the match, and New Zealand needed a six to tie. However, McKechnie could only offer a defensive stroke to the underarm ball. Although the move was legal, it was heavily criticized for violating the Spirit of the Game, leading to a change in the law to ban underarm bowling.
Cummins’ reply, although taunting in nature, was a light-hearted response to the reporter’s question. It sparked conversation and added to the friendly rivalry between the two cricket nations.
As the Ashes series continues, it will be interesting to see if the wickets change and whether there will be any surprises in the strategies employed by both Australia and England.
