Alex Carey warned England’s batters he would re-enact his controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow if the opportunity presented itself in the last two Ashes Tests.
Carey was taken aback by the opprobrium he received after throwing down the stumps of Bairstow, who had idly walked out of his crease believing the ball to be dead in the second Test at Lord’s this month.
The letter of the law was in favour of Carey, who carried out a perfectly legitimate dismissal, even if England and their fans were aggrieved at the Australia wicketkeeper for contravening the unwritten ‘spirit of the game’.
With the series back in the balance after England’s victory in the third Test at Headingley last week, Carey insisted he would not hesitate to repeat his actions at Emirates Old Trafford or the Kia Oval.
“If there was an opportunity to get a stumping, I definitely would,” Carey told reporters on Saturday. “To see how much has played out since then it’s been a little bit surprising.
“There’s been some nasty stuff been said but it is the Ashes – there was nasty stuff said before that as well. I feel really well supported, I think the whole group does.
“From Australia, I still think we’ve got lots of fans and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any but we probably didn’t lose any either.”
If there was an opportunity to get a stumping, I definitely would— Alex Carey
Speaking for the first time since the incident that has divided opinion, Carey explained he acted on impulse to have a shy at the stumps after gathering when Bairstow ducked Cameron Green’s bouncer.
Carey’s collection of the ball and throw was carried out in one motion, with Bairstow in his crease at the point of release but out of it by the time the ball reached the stumps and knocked off the bails.
Boos rained down at Lord’s for the rest of that final day while the flashpoint mushroomed to the extent that the Prime Ministers of England and Australia had their say.
“We were switched on to the fact that it was a bouncer plan and it felt like Jonny was pretty switched on to getting out of the way, he wasn’t playing any shots,” Carey added.
“When he ducked, his first movement was pretty much out of his crease, so instinctively I grabbed the ball, threw the stumps down and the rest is history, as they say.
“As soon as I got it, I threw it straight away. Once the bail has come off, it’s up to the third umpire to deem it out or not out, or the on-field umpires – and it was given out.”
