In sport, only the rules of the game matter

Australia`s wicket keeper Alex Carey changes ends between overs on day five of the second Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Lord`s cricket ground in London. Pic/AFP

A lot of ire has been poured over Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey the last couple of days for a legitimate stumping he effected of England's very own wicket-keeper batsman, Jonny Bairstow. The barbs, significantly, are mostly from English pundits, with some stray voices against Carey from other countries.

Here is what happened: In the last ball of the 52nd over of the final innings of the second Test at Lord's cricket ground, Bairstow ducked a bouncer and wandered off. Carey, alert and aware, immediately released the ball underarm at the stumps, even as Bairstow wandered out of his crease.

The third umpire looked at the replays and adjudicated that Bairstow was out, raising the English hackles. One key aspect of the protestations of the English pundits and former players is that Bairstow was the last recognised batsman, with only skipper Ben Stokes for company.

This, funnily, in an ideal world should only mean that it was so much more important that Bairstow took all possible care not to give away his wicket.

Also ironically, soon after the social media storm, video clips emerged of Bairstow himself trying to stump Marnus Labuschagne in the earlier innings when the Aussie was batting.

Be that as it may, naysayers need to remember one thing clearly - cricket is played as per the laws of the game. Anything else in the name of some archaic idea of ‘spirit of the game' - which Australian Steve Smith said ceased to exist a long, long time ago" - is just whingeing by another name.