Piers Morgan blows up after Aussie expert tells him Pat Cummins’ team deserve an apology for ‘absolute hooliganism’ on display at Lord’s after stumping scandal
- Broadcaster Piers Morgan left red-faced on his own show
- Schooled in rules of cricket by Aussie journalist Peter Lalor
- Lalor then suggested Pat Cummins’ men are owed an apology
Piers Morgan was given a lesson in the rules of cricket by Australian journalist Peter Lalor during an exchange on the broadcaster’s show – with the scribe telling him Pat Cummins’ team are owed an apology for the ‘absolute hooliganism’ on display at Lord’s.
Morgan, still incensed by Jonny Bairstow’s stumping on day five of the second Ashes Test, felt the Aussies didn’t act within the spirit of the game following the now infamous dismissal by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
He also felt Australia’s win-at-all-costs mentality was a throwback to ‘Sandpapergate’ in South Africa back in 2018, which saw Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft all banned by Cricket Australia for bringing the sport into disrepute.
When Lalor said he was ‘100 per cent comfortable’ with the Bairstow decision from the umpires at Lord’s – which was correct, according to the rules of cricket – a red-faced Morgan conceded the outcome was technically the right one.
‘Anybody who plays cricket, Piers, knows that the over’s not over, until the umpire calls it over,’ Lalor began in response to Morgan’s suggestion that the Aussies were once again a ‘disgrace’ in world cricket circles.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne celebrate the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on day five of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s
The likes of Smith (front) and Labuschagne (behind him) were then targeted by fired-up members in the Long Room at Lord’s
Piers Morgan launched into a tirade on his show Uncensored – only to be schooled on the rules of cricket by Aussie sports journalist Peter Lalor
Lalor (right) pointed out the umpires got the Bairstow decision right – and then said the English crowd lacked decorum at Lord’s
‘It was out! It was dopey! It was dozy [from Bairstow]. It was stupid.’
Lalor wasn’t finished yet, declaring the English supporters at the home of cricket lacked decorum.
‘You talk about the spirit of cricket, the spirit of cricket talks about accepting the authority of the umpire, of creating a positive atmosphere in the way you play,’ he added.
‘I think English cricket owes Australia an apology – there was absolute hooliganism at Lord’s by the members and by the public, and it’s been spurred on by your team, to cover up for the fact that they are 2-0 down in the Ashes.’
Morgan shot back and said the Aussies had ‘no right to lecture on how crowds treat opponents’, bringing up the scenes Down Under in the 2013-14 series when fans were ‘baying for my blood’ when fast bowler Brett Lee broke one of his ribs in the nets on live television.
Morgan also raised eyebrows when he stated the late Shane Warne would have been left seriously unimpressed by Carey’s stumping of Bairstow with the game in the balance.
Piers Morgan (left) believes his great mate, the late Shane Warne (right) would not have approved of Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow
The pair were close mates before Warne’s death last year, and the outspoken English media personality believes the spin king would have labelled one of the most explosive incidents in Ashes history ‘pretty ordinary’.
The third Ashes Test gets underway at Headingley on Thursday, with the tourists tipped to be sledged relentlessly by the fired-up Barmy Army.
Carey will be public enemy No.1 in Leeds, with Warner and Smith also certain to be targeted.
Australia will look to take an unassailable series lead and secure their first Ashes victory on English soil since 2001.
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