‘No malice’ in headbutt
But Australia vow to get even tougher in Ashes second test
NEW Australian test opener Cameron Bancroft described a headbutt greeting by Jonny Bairstow as weird yesterday, as details emerged of the late-night incident during England’s Ashes tour.
The wash-up of Australia’s thumping 10-wicket win over England in the first test in Brisbane was dominated by questions about the incident involving England’s wicketkeeper and Bancroft in a Perth bar late last month, which only came to light at the weekend.
There is sensitivity within the England camp about off-field behaviour given the controversy surrounding suspended star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is facing a police inquiry into a fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September.
Bancroft was matter of fact about their coming together.
“I got into a very amicable conversation with Jonny and he just greeted me with a headbutt,” the Australian opener told a postmatch media conference, calling it weird.
“I was expecting a handshake. It wasn’t the greeting of choice that I was expecting,” a dead-pan Bancroft said.
“We got along for the rest of the night quite well and I let it go and moved on from it, it was fine.”
Bairstow, whose actions were slammed as dumb by team coach Trevor Bayliss, faced reporters to make a short statement but took no questions.
The England wicketkeeper said the incident was blown out of proportion.
“We were in the bar having a good laugh and a good evening out, it was very enjoyable.
“Cameron [Bancroft] and I enjoyed the evening and continued to do so,” Bairstow said.
“There was no intent, nor malice about anything during the evening.”
Bairstow said it was time “we move on from there”, but an irritated Bayliss expressed his disappointment, saying it gave the Australian team ammunition to put undue pressure on England.
“There was absolutely no malice in it. Are we disappointed that some small incident gets blown up and put in the press and bought up? Yes,” the England coach said.
England skipper Joe Root also played down the incident, saying it was “a bit of joshing around – boyish behaviour”.
Australian captain Steve Smith said his team had used the incident to help get Bairstow out for 42 in England’s second innings of the test.
“It was basically about trying to get Jonny off his game, to be honest with you,” 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.”
Man-of-the-match Smith also vowed yesterday that Australia would continue to play hard, aggressive cricket right through the Ashes series after smashing England in the first test.
Openers David Warner and Bancroft sealed a 10-wicket victory at the Gabba with an unbeaten opening stand of 173, a record in a successful test chase.
Ahead of the first-ever daynight Ashes test starting on Saturday at the Adelaide Oval, Smith warned that England’s batsmen could expect another barrage from Australia’s fast bowlers.
Meanwhile, Root urged his players to keep backing themselves as England head into the crucial second test after their demoralising Gabba loss. – AFP