A THICK SLEDGE
STEVE Smith believes England may have headbutted their way into Ashes oblivion after Australia strategically destroyed Jonny Bairstow in the sledging war.
Even after Australia’s emphatic 10- wicket first Test triumph, rival captain Joe Root still appeared to be peddling a bizarre theory that the leaking out of “headbutt gate” was a baggy green conspiracy.
Smith called the day four drama for what it was: perhaps one of the most effective sledging campaigns in cricket’s celebrated history of mental disintegration.
Australia felt they could get inside Bairstow’s head and, after a barrage of sledging, the panicked batsman played a disastrous shot that ultimately triggered England’s epic capitulation, which was rammed home when headbutt victim Cameron Bancroft blasted a superb 82 not out on debut.
“Well, it was basically about trying to get Jonny off his game,” Smith said. “And I think it worked.
“With the way he got out, he got caught at third man playing a pretty ordinary stroke. We were just trying to get in his head and it happened to work.”
England’s decision not to hand down disciplinary action is extraordinary.
The incident occurred on the first night England landed in Australia – just 24 hours after having the riot act read to them before they boarded the flight.
Bairstow was also on a warning after being fined 1000 for breaking curfew on the night Ben Stokes was arrested.
England great Michael Vaughan said Bairstow “had a major problem” and expressed deep concern about his former team’s drinking culture.
Bancroft might have copped the headbutt in Perth four weeks ago, but yesterday he sliced and diced his opposite on the field and off it, splicing a 173- run stand with David Warner into an honest and humorous press conference that made Bairstow’s nonexplanation look embarrassing.
It’s understood Bairstow was accompanied by at least one other England player on the night in question in Perth when he headbutted the Australian opener, who at the time was playing for WA.
Despite Bairstow and Root trying to blame Australia and the media for “blowing it up out of all proportion”, England coach Trevor Bayliss laid bare his disappointment with the “dumb” actions of his players.
Bayliss insisted the issue was minor but was smart enough to see that Bairstow had made himself fair game.
“Any team at this level will take any opportunity to get stuck into the opposition and make them feel uncomfortable wherever possible,” Bayliss said. “If you put yourself in that situation, you’re fair game.
“We have got to be very careful we don’t do that in the future. They mentioned it to get under Jonny’s skin, as may have been done a few years in England ( when David Warner allegedly hit Joe Root).
“I thought that after ( the Ben Stokes incident in) Bristol ( they would learn) … they’d be extra dumb or stupid if they didn’t now.”
Triple M’s stump microphone broadcast audio from its day four commentary which captured Warner sledging a player purported to be Jimmy Anderson with “you shouldn’t headbutt our mates”. Peter Handscomb also gave Bairstow a gobful out in the middle.
Warner was nailed by Cricket Australia four years ago for a similarly minor fracas with Root at a Birmingham nightclub.