Bairstow: Sledging tough but fair

Line not crossed in Adelaide

CRICKET: Tough but fair is the assessment of the so-called Ashes sledging war, according to English batsman Jonny Bairstow.

He has been in the eye of the storm since revelations of “headbutt gate”, and the coming together of his head and new Aussie opener Cameron Bancroft’s in Perth way before the first Test.

Bairstow, writing a column for the UK Daily Mail, declared the headbutt incident was “nothing really”.

“Our security were there and happy nothing happened. Sorry, if I had headbutted someone I think they would have known all about it and damage would have been done,” he wrote.

“How can I describe it? Boys being boys, I guess. But there was minimal contact, I can tell you that.

“No offence was taken and, talking to some of the Australian boys, they didn’t know anything about it until just before some of their players made comments to me about it during the Test at the Gabba.”

That’s when the on-field verbal barrage really amped up, with the “don’t headbutt our mates” line from Aussie vice-captain Davie Warner picked up by the stump mikes at the Gabba.

Bairstow revealed he copped it pretty heavy from then. He said he felt he had been “stitched up”, but didn’t think it was “anything to worry about”.

“I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and, more importantly, the team and management knew that too,” he said.

But Bairstow also said the sledging he copped was nothing he didn’t expect, and denied suggestions the Aussies had crossed the line and got personal,

“Australia, as they have admitted, were trying to use it to get under my skin. Realising what they were doing was important. I never said a thing back to them,” he said.

“Some other things, apart from the ‘headbutt’ business, were said by Australia in the middle but what they were is staying there. We move on. Hopefully it’s gone now. I’m not making an issue of it.

“The second Test was played in a good spirit, tough but fair. There were some verbals from both teams but this time nothing crossed the line.

“If we were the type of people who shrink from conflict and a battle, we wouldn’t be here.”

Bairstow pointed out three Aussies had been teammates at Yorkshire – Handscomb, Mitchell Starc and Shaun Marsh – and said his friendships with them remained intact.