ICC World Cup 2019: Jonny Bairstow Feels Asking Fans Not To Boo Is Meaningless
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Australia cricketers David Warner and Steven Smith returned to the international cricket after sustaining an one year ban following their role in the ball tampering scandal. The England crowd welcomed them with hostile environment booing them on a number of occasions. India skipper Virat Kohli was seen requesting to the Indian crowds not to boo them. But English cricketer Jonny Bairstow feels it is pointless to ask them not to react in their own way.

Fans will react in their own way: Bairstow

Meanwhile the verbal battle has reached its peak before the arch-rivals clash against each other on June 25(Tuesday) at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. While defending champions Australia have been fairly dominant in the World Cup so far, host England slipped in their last game against Sri Lanka. It will be an ideal match-up with both teams having some quality players in their ranks.

Jonny Bairtow, David Warner, IPL 2019
BCCI

Beside the players, it is likely to be a full house at Lord’s with fans cheering up for their favourite sides. Steven Smith and David Warner will have a tough time and Jonny Bairstow feels the fans will react in whatever way they want to. He also added that mere urging the fans not to jeer will hardly make any difference.

“I’ve read that Justin Langer, the Australia coach, and Virat Kohli have asked supporters not to boo Steve Smith and Warner. I’m not sure that makes any difference,” England opening batsman Bairstow wrote in a column for The Telegraph.

“The fans will react however they want, particularly in the Ashes (which begins on Aug. 1 in Edgbsaton). It is a bit pointless pleading with them not to boo Smith or Warner,” he added.

Steven Smith
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Also read: ICC World Cup 2019: Shoaib Akhtar Takes A Dig At MS Dhoni’s Slow Innings Against Afghanistan

Jonny Bairstow, who forged a strong partnership with Warner in the Indian Premier League, said his fellow opener in the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise is an outstanding cricketer but that it was hypocritical to suggest he cannot be booed. He also drew examples when former Aussie coach Darren Lehmann had asked his countrymen to give a hostile invitation to England pacer Stuart Broad after he accused Broad of cheating during the 2013 Ashes.

“There is a fine line as well. There was a time not that long ago when the then Australia coach, Darren Lehmann, was telling the Australia crowd to send Stuart Broad home crying. “I’m sure it was not meant maliciously but for Australians then to say ‘do not boo these guys’ is interesting. It has to work both ways, it can’t just all be one way,” he concluded.

England and Australia will take on each other at Lord’s, London on 25th June.

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