Pat Cummins hits English reporter with epic comeback after shocking question over Ashes ‘cheating’

Aussie captain Pat Cummins is happy to play the pantomime villain with journalists if the post game press conference after his team’s second Test win at Lord’s is any guide.

English sports reporter Mike Walters asked the 30-year-old if his team would go on to repeat one of Aussie cricket’s darkest episodes by bowling underarm in the aftermath of the controversial – but legal – dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on day five of the clash.

Cummins cheekily replied, ‘Depends how flat the wickets get … It might be an option to turn to.’  

The exchange began when Walters said, ‘Pat, is there such a thing, or do you believe in such a thing as spirit of cricket?’ to which Cummins simply responded ‘yep’.

Walters then asked his aggressive follow-up question. 

‘Do you think that after Bairstow’s dismissal today, which was within the letter of the law — no disputing that — but are we in danger of seeing Mankads or underarm bowling later on this series?’

Mankads occur when the bowler whips off the bails at the non-striker’s end mid-delivery because the batsman is out of the crease.

Underarm bowling refers to an incident in 1981, where Trevor Chappell – on the instructions of his older brother, Aussie skipper Greg – bowled a delivery that barely got off the ground, ensuring Australia wouldn’t lose a one-day international match versus New Zealand at the MCG. 

After Cummins’ ‘flat wickets’ comeback – which referred to the state of the lifeless pitch for the first Test at Edgbaston – Walters went on to have another dig at Australian cricket.

‘But I have never used sandpaper to change a ball’s condition and never bowled underarm along the floor with six needed off the last ball,’ he posted in reference to the infamous scenes at Cape Town in 2018 during the series against South Africa which led to bans for David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.

‘Cummins answered question in good humour – fair play – but the stains on Australia’s reputation remain.’

The simmering tension comes as Australian coach Andrew McDonald declared he is ‘disappointed’ with the reaction from his England counterpart Brendon McCullum following Bairstow’s stumping.

‘I can’t imagine we will be having a beer with them any time soon,’ a fired-up McCullum said after the Australians took a 2-0 series lead at the home of cricket.

McDonald said he was hearing the comments for the first time when he fronted the press – and had not spoken to McCullum after the game.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald was ‘somewhat disappointed’ after his English counterpart Brendon McCullum suggested his team were unsportsmanlike

McCullum was fired-up after the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on day five of the second Ashes Test, declaring it was unlikely the squads would enjoy a beer together

‘I’m somewhat disappointed by that,’ McDonald said.

The Australian coach said Bairstow’s dismissal as he strolled out of his crease was the simple execution of a plan and did not contravene the spirit of cricket.

‘There’s no doubt when a player is leaving their crease or leaving their ground at certain periods of time that you take that opportunity,’ he said.

‘I think (captain Pat Cummins) relayed that there was some conversation around Jonny leaving the crease and Alex Carey took that opportunity – the ball’s still live in our minds.

‘It got sent upstairs and ultimately, the officiating third umpire decides it’s out, it’s within the laws of the game. I don’t see too many issues with it, to be perfectly honest.’