'I was angered...' Stuart Broad brings up 2018 sandpaper-gate scandal and Australia's 'cultural change' in fresh attack at Pat Cummins' side

Fast bowler Stuart Broad, who had said told Alex Carey 'you will only be remembered for that' after stumping Bairstow, launched another fresh attack at the Baggy Greens ahead of the third Test at Headingley.

SportsTak

• Tue • 04 Jul 2023

England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who had said told Alex Carey 'you will only be remembered for that' after stumping Bairstow, launched another fresh attack at the Baggy Greens ahead of the third Test at Headingley.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Broad brought up the infamous sandpaper-gate scandal of 2018 and spoke about the culture of the current Australian side in a fresh attack at the Baggy Greens.

“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.

"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 over. It’s a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal.'"

"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.

"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.

"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 added.

In a Test match that will be remembered for a long time, Australia defeated England by 43 runs at Lord's on July 2 (Sunday) and took a commanding 2-0 lead in the ongoing Ashes series. On the final day of the Test, emotions ran high not just amongst the players but also among the crowd present inside the stadium to watch the action unfold. The tipping point came when Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow after the latter ducked a bouncer from Cameron Green and casually left his crease.

The England fans booed, jeered and mocked Australian players for their decision to run claim Bairstow's wicket. When the Baggy Greens players made their way to the dressing room, the loud sound of boos echoed across the stadium.

Several England players voiced their displeasure with Bairstow's dismissal after the match.