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Over two years have passed since Alex Carey became a figure of controversy in England, a status he gained on July 1, 2023.
This was the day Jonny Bairstow misjudged a bouncer from Cameron Green during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. He stepped out of his crease, thinking the play was paused, to tap the pitch. However, Carey noticed Bairstow’s tendency to stray from his ground and swiftly threw the ball at the stumps, successfully dismissing him.
The dismissal incited a significant uproar, transforming the usually dignified MCC members into a frenzied crowd, and turning the Long Room into a tumultuous passageway as the Australian team navigated through it.
The controversy lingered, with tensions running high. Some MCC members faced bans due to their conduct. Carey, however, seemed largely unperturbed, maintaining his calm demeanor. As Australia retained the Ashes, Carey continued to focus on his game.
Carey has since evolved into a remarkably skilled player. Were it not for Mitchell Starc’s performances, Carey might be considered the standout player of the series. His impressive wicket-keeping has significantly pressured the English batsmen, leading to several key dismissals.
Alex Carey has matured into an exceptional player – he could be player of the series, especially after his charmed century
Carey was already Public Enemy No 1 in England for his controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s in 2023
Recently, Carey was seen participating in a sponsor event in North Adelaide, showcasing his skills by catching beer cans with his gloves. Just days later at the Adelaide Oval, he demonstrated his batting prowess, securing a century and stabilizing Australia after some erratic performances from their top order.
It was an emotional day for him, too. His father, who had been his coach when he was a kid, passed away recently and Carey took off his helmet and pointed to the sky when he reached his 100. He is a South Australian. All his family were here to watch. His wife was in tears in the stand.
For all that, Carey discovered what it felt like to be regarded as a villain by the English again. The Carey who undid England with his gamesmanship at Lord’s did it again at Adelaide when he edged a ball from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith when he was on 72 – and then refused to acknowledge he was out.
England reviewed the umpire’s decision to give Carey not out but the RTS (Real-Time Snicko) being used in this series – rather than the more accurate UltraEdge employed in England – appeared to fail to align the audio and visual components of the review, for which the company running it (BBG Sports, of Australia) have apologised.
A spike appeared on Snicko, but it appeared before the ball hit the bat and the TV umpire rejected England’s appeal.
Carey, once more, was unapologetic about what he had done even if it was clearly not within the famed spirit of cricket. Whether the spirit of cricket still exists, or has become a concept so outmoded that it is laughed out of the ground as a fad of the self-righteous, remains to be seen.
‘I thought there was a bit of a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat,’ Carey admitted. ‘It looked a bit funny on the replay, didn’t it, with the noise coming early. If I was given out, I think I would have reviewed it – probably not confidently, though. It was a nice sound as it passed the bat, yeah.’
Carey was asked at that point whether he was a ‘walker’, a batsman who will walk back to the pavilion if he knows he has hit the ball, irrespective of whether the umpire raises his finger.
‘Clearly not,’ Carey said. Cue a lot of laughter from the Australian members of the media.
England bowler Josh Tongue was adamant that Carey had nicked behind on 72
The reprieve could be fatal for England’s Ashes hopes, as Ben Stokes’ men try to bounce back from trailing 2-0
Stuart Broad was vilified in Australia back in 2013 after refusing to walk in the Ashes. The Courier Mail even refused to mention his name or print his picture the next time England toured
For a dastardly villain, Carey seems like a nice guy but the reality is that his cynical opportunism cost England at least the 34 extra runs he made after his reprieve. His extended stay at the crease also allowed Australia to edge towards par in an innings in which they had been struggling.
Some will say Carey should not be criticised for the way he acted. But remember the way Stuart Broad was vilified in Australia when he refused to walk after edging a ball to slip at Trent Bridge in the 2013 Ashes?
The Aussies were so enraged by that that the local Brisbane newspaper refused to mention his name or print his picture the next time England toured.
What Carey did in Adelaide is no different. His gamesmanship will fly under the radar more this time because it happened on home soil but the consequences of what he did may be just as detrimental to England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes as that ‘stumping’ at Lord’s, on the day the Long Room lost its mind.
