After a controversial Test match between England and Australia, UK PM Rishi Sunak and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese waded in. Amid allegations of bad sportsmanship, cheating and verbal abuse as Australia took a 2-0 Ashes series lead, Rishi Sunak decried the dismissal of English batsman Jonny Bairstow- stumped during what he appeared to think was a pause in play.
Jonny Bairstow's dismissal was just not cricket, Rishi Sunak's spokesman said.
"The prime minister agrees with (England captain) Ben Stokes who said he simply wouldn't want to win a game in the manner that Australia did," the spokesman said.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese retorted saying that he was "proud" of Australia's "men's and women's cricket teams, who have both won their opening two Ashes matches against England."
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“Same old Aussies -- always winning! (I) look forward to welcoming them home victorious,” he said.
Rishi Sunak, however, deplored the abuse directed at the Australians by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members, as his spokesman said, “He thinks it was right that the MCC have taken swift action to suspend any members accused of poor behaviour.”
MCC membership of three people was suspended pending an investigation after the incident.
{{/usCountry}}MCC membership of three people was suspended pending an investigation after the incident.
{{/usCountry}}While there is a "friendly rivalry" over sport between the two leaders, Rishi Sunak does not see cricket as a core diplomatic issue, his spokesman remarked.
"The game did provide an opportunity to see Ben Stokes at his best and it was an incredible Test match -- he has confidence that England will bounce back," he said.
England coach Brendon McCullum said, "In the end, they made a play, they've got to live with that. We would have made a different play but that's life. In time, we'll see, but I get the feeling that it might have an effect on them. I don't know if it's anger, but our unit is galvanised. There are times as a coach where you've got to reduce emotion because it's going to bubble over and you can make poor decisions, but there's times when you allow emotion to go because it's going to galvanise the unit.