Ashes 2023: Jonny Bairstow's Dismissal In Lord's Test Is 'Just As Plain As Day Out' - Mark Butcher

Published - 04 Jul 2023, 04:06 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM

Jonny Bairstow Image: Wikipedia

Former England batsman Mark Butcher was perplexed by the reaction to Jonny Bairstow‘s dismissal in the second Ashes Test. Alex Carey stumped England’s wicket-keeper batsman when he went out of the crease with the ball still in play.

The England camp and several experts have expressed their anger with the manner of Bairstow’s dismissal, while many have supported the events that led to his departure. As Ben Stokes ran out of legitimate partners at the other end, the wicket proved to be a game-changing moment.

“Jonny Bairstow knew where the ball was”- Mark Butcher

Mark Butcher, a former England opener, is baffled by the outcry following Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal in the second Ashes Test. He asserts that “it’s just as clear as day in and day out” and that the talk in cricketing circles is “nonsense.”

“For me, it’s just as plain as day out. And pretty much to all of the other professional cricketers I have spoken to, they all say the same thing,” Mark Butcher told the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast.

“Why didn’t he (Bairstow) make sure that he knew where the ball was and what was going on before he left (the crease)?” added Mark Butcher.

“I was listening to it on the radio” – Mark Butcher

Former England batsman Mark Butcher blamed Jonny Bairstow for his dismissal, saying he should have known where the ball was before leaving the crease.

“I was listening to it on the radio. Nobody had described what had happened apart from, ‘Oh no, oh this, oh dear’, So I got on the phone to call my old man (father Alan, also a former cricketer). I said, ‘Just tell me what happened, just walk me through it’. So he walked me through it and I said, ‘So that’s out then, isn’t it?’ And he said, ‘yeah” Mark Butcher said.

Mark Butcher questioned what the England batter was doing when he vacated the crease while other experts questioned the game’s spirit in the wake of the event.

“What was he doing? Where was he going? Of course, now we’ve got an international incident. We’ve got people saying they’re not going to have a beer with each other after the game,” Mark Butcher added.

The third Ashes Test will begin on Thursday, July 6 in Leeds at Headingley. England has only won two of the previous 18 Tests against Australia and will need to make a strong comeback if they are to take the urn.