LONDON: The British and Australian prime ministers have traded verbal bouncers after a controversial Test match between the two sides that has rocked the usually genteel world of cricket.

Amid allegations of bad sportsmanship, cheating and verbal abuse after Australia took a 2-0 Ashes series lead on Sunday, political leaders have now waded in.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired first, sending a spokesman out to decry the dismissal of English batsman Jonny Bairstow -- who was stumped during what he appeared to think was a pause in play.

Bairstow’s dismissal was just not cricket, Sunak’s spokesman suggested.

“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.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a keen cricket fan, shot back 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.

“Same old Aussies -- always winning!” he added. “[I] look forward to welcoming them home victorious.”

Sunak -- who is also a cricket fan and watched with Prince William from the Lord’s pavilion on Saturday -- did deplore abuse directed at the Australians by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members.

Three individuals have had their MCC membership suspended pending an investigation. “He thinks it was right that the MCC have taken swift action to suspend any members accused of poor behaviour,” the spokesman said.

Sunak, though, has no intention of lodging an official protest with Albanese, to reprise the serious diplomatic strains created by England’s “Bodyline” tactics in the infamous 1932-33 Ashes Down Under.

While there is a “friendly rivalry” over sport between the two leaders, Sunak does not view cricket as a core diplomatic issue, the 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 added, after Stokes hit a blazing 155 in his second innings despite his side falling 44 runs short of victory.

The third Test gets underway at Headingley on Thursday, with Australia aiming to secure a much coveted Ashes win away from home.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2023