No need to discipline Bairstow, decides Strauss
ENGLAND and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss insists there are no “thugs” among the nation’s Test cricketers and confirmed Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow will not face disciplinary action over the ‘headbutt’ incident at the start of the Ashes tour.
The subject of player behaviour is again making headlines after it emerged Bairstow greeted Cameron Bancroft with what the Australian opener described as a headbutt in a Perth bar on October 29.
It follows on from all-rounder Ben Stokes being made unavailable for the tour as he waits to discover if he will be charged after a late-night fracas in Bristol in September.
Strauss has spoken to Bairstow about the Perth incident, and while he was due to address the players again in Brisbane yesterday he is satisfied no disciplinary measures will be appropriate this time.
“These guys are not thugs,” he said. “These are good, honest, hard-working cricketers who sacrifice a lot to play for England. They have done some great things in an England shirt, and I will back them on that to the hilt – because I know them.
“The guys were out for a couple of drinks, there was no curfew in place (and) they were free to enjoy an evening out.”
Bairstow, however, does appear to have committed a faux pas.
“Jonny Bairstow mentioned to me that he ‘bumped’ Cameron Bancroft,” added Strauss. “It’s a greeting he does with his mates – and he assured me there was no malice, no intent, no aggression in what he did.
“Although I’m somewhat surprised he would choose to do such a thing, I’m taking him at his word. As such, I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to be launching disciplinary proceedings against him.
“I have clearly reminded him of his responsibilities as an England cricketer and I think he has obviously seen first-hand how, in an Ashes series, with a lot of noise and attention and interest, small issues can become bigger issues.”
Bancroft, who marked his debut with an unbeaten secondinnings half-century as Australia coasted to victory, described Bairstow’s introductory gesture as “weird”.
Strauss added: “We have done a lot of work over the last five or six weeks, making sure the players understand their responsibilities and obligations and coming up with a code of conduct for them.
“I think we also need to understand and recognise that sport is moving on. What might have been acceptable in the old days is no longer acceptable, and we as an England cricket team ... need to move along with that.
“I think the players needs to be smarter. That’s the reality – they are adults, intelligent adults, and at times they are not using that intelligence in the right way.”
It has certainly been a sudden learning curve for England’s wicketkeeper.
“He is shocked,” said Strauss. “He is surprised this has been made a big issue, but I think also he is quite contrite and realises what he thought was a bit of fun at the time can in the build-up to an Ashes series be construed as something completely different.”
As England came to terms with a 10-wicket first Test defeat in Brisbane, Bairstow issued a statement about the incident.
“First of all, personally, I think it has been blown completely out of proportion,” he told the postmatch press conference. “That evening, we were allowed out. There wasn’t any curfew.
“I caught up with one of my friends and some of the Western Australia guys after they’d just beaten Tasmania at the WACA.
“We were just in the bar, having a good laugh and a good evening out. It was very enjoyable. Cameron and I enjoyed the evening and continued to do so. There was no intent, nor malice, about anything during the evening.
“As you could see, out there (on the pitch yesterday), there is no animosity between myself, Cameron (or) any of the other Australian players.
“I hope we can now swipe this underneath the table, continue what is going to be a fantastic and exciting series – and we move on from there.”
Bancroft came under intense scrutiny himself after helping guide Australia to a convincing win at The Gabba by scoring 82 not out in an unbroken opening stand of 173 with David Warner.
When asked to recall the night he met Bairstow, Bancroft replied: “It was very friendly mingling the whole night. “
He added: “I got into a very amicable conversation with Jonny, and... yeah, like, he just, um, just greeted me with... just... a headbutt kind of thing.
“I was expecting a handshake. It wasn’t the greeting of choice that I was expecting. That was the way I took it. There was certainly no malice in his action, and we continued on having a very good conversation for the rest of the evening.”
Personally, I think it has been blown completely out of proportion Jonny Bairstow on the night he bumped into Cameron Bancroft in a Perth bar.