The England skipper, Ben Stokes gives a witty comeback after being called a 'crybaby' by an Australian newspaper amid Jonny Bairstow's run-out controversy
Ben Stokes gives an epic response after Australian newspaper labels him a 'crybaby'Following a controversial conclusion to the second Ashes Test at Lord's, a battle between the UK and Australian press has ignited.
While the on-field battle between England and Australia players concluded at Lord's on Sunday, the clash between media outlets from both countries continues. After British newspapers took a jibe at the Australian team regarding the contentious Jonny Bairstow dismissal, the Australian media retaliated on Tuesday morning by branding Ben Stokes and his team as 'crybabies'. When Stokes came across a viral image of himself depicted in nappies with the word 'Crybabies' written across it, he couldn't resist responding with a hilarious retort.
The West Australian newspaper featured the image with the headline "Poms take whingeing to new level with 'cheating' drivel," further fueling the ongoing media feud.
Reacting to the post, Stokes wrote: "That's definitely not me, since when did I bowl with the new ball".
Stokes, reacting to the controversial Jonny Bairstow dismissal, had said that he wouldn't want to win a game in such a manner. But, the England captain admitted that whatever happened on the field was well within the rules of the game.
"If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no," he had said on Sunday.
Contrarily, Australia's captain Pat Cummins believes that Alex Carey acted appropriately and within his role as a wicketkeeper, particularly given Jonny Bairstow's involvement in previous similar dismissals.
"You see Jonny do it all the time. He did it on day one to Davey Warner. He did it in 2019 to Steve [Smith]. It's a really common thing for keepers to do if they see about a batter keep leaving their crease. So Kez [Carey], full credit to him. He saw the opportunity. I think Jonny did it a few balls beforehand. Rolled it at the stumps. Jonny left his crease. You leave the rest to the umpires," Cummins had said in the press conference after the match.
Trailing 0-2 at home to Australia, England are running out of time to prove 'Bazball' is truly the right way forward.
