British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday aimed a verbal bouncer at Australia’s cricketers after the Lord’s Ashes match — however dominated out turning it right into a Bodyline-style diplomatic incident. Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal was not consistent with the spirit of the sport, Sunak’s spokesman advised reporters. “The prime minister agrees with (England captain) Ben Stokes who mentioned he merely would not wish to win a recreation within the method that Australia did,” the spokesman mentioned. But Sunak, a eager cricket fan who watched with Prince William from the Lord’s pavilion on Saturday, additionally deplored the Long Room abuse directed on the Australians by Marylebone Cricket Club members.

“He thinks it was right that the MCC have taken swift action to suspend any members accused of poor behaviour,” the spokesman mentioned.

Sunak believed that the standing ovation given by MCC members to Australia’s hobbling spinner Nathan Lyon, as he got here out to bat on Saturday, was “much more in keeping with the spirit of the game”.

But Sunak has no intention of lodging an official protest with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to reprise the intense diplomatic strains created by England’s “Bodyline” techniques within the 1932-33 Ashes Down Under.

While there’s a “friendly rivalry” over sport between the 2 leaders, Sunak doesn’t view cricket as a core diplomatic subject, 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 at Headingley,” he added, after Stokes hit a blazing 155.

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