‘Bhai tu to aakhiri aadmi hona chahiye spirit ki baat krne wala’ – Fans react as Stuart Broad slams Australia for dismissing Jonny Bairstow with ‘controversial’ stumping during 2nd Ashes 2023 Test

The tussle over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal in the second Test of Ashes 2023 will not see an end anytime soon. Adding fuel to the fire, England pacer Stuart Broad has said that he was surprised by Australia’s move to not withdraw the appeal. Broad was particularly not impressed with the senior Australian players as none of them condemned the act.

“What amazed me, and what I told the Australians I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them questioned what they had done,” Broad wrote in his column in the Daily Mail. “Especially given what their team has been through over recent years, with all their cultural change. Not one of them said, ‘Hang on, lads. I’m not really sure about this.’ Not one of them thought, ‘He’s gaining no advantage. He’s not trying to get a run. It’s the end of the world. It’s a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal.'”

Broad believes that Pat Cummins will be disappointed with his decision, and he does not see the Australian team’s on-field culture improving under his leadership. He said, “Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy, and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles if he does not sit back and think, ‘I got that one wrong’, even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match.”

Stuart Broad brought Sandpaper Gate into the discussion

Further adding fuel to the fire. Broad brought Sandpaper Gate into the discussion. He said that he was angered by Australia’s decision, as he expected them to create a legacy after Sandpaper Gate. He wrote, “I was angered by Australia’s decision, particularly having heard their lines about creating a new legacy as a team and how they have changed since the tour of South Africa in 2018,” he added. “I just said to Pat on repeat: ‘All these boos are for you, for your decision.’ And what a great opportunity you had to think clearly!”, he further added.

Notably, Stuart Broad also dismissed the allegations against Jonny Bairstow for attempting a similar stumping against Marnus Labuschange. He said, “Yes, I have seen a clip from earlier in the match when, in his guise as a wicketkeeper, Jonny himself threw the ball at the stumps. But that was because Marnus Labuschagne was batting outside of his crease, attempting to take the lbw out of the game. In other words, seeking an advantage

Here is how fans reacted to Stuart Broad’s comments: