By Simon Taufel, Former ICC Elite Umpire
Was Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal at Lords a breach of the Spirit of Cricket? This is a question I have been inundated with, so I thought it best to share my thoughts publicly by asking everyone a question or eight to consider…
1. Have you seen any umpire tell a fielding side that the keeper standing back is not allowed to attempt a stumping?
2. Was there a complaint from anyone when Bairstow tried to stump Marnus exactly the same way in the first innings?
3. What has Jonny Bairstow said about his dismissal? He has been very quiet. Why?
4. My experience is when people don’t like a dismissal under the Laws of Cricket, they cite the Spirit of Cricket to support their view.
5. Which part of the codified Preamble (the Spirit of Cricket) was breached by the fielding side?
6. What did the fielding side do in effecting a legitimate dismissal that unfairly impacted the ability of the batter in their attempt not to be dismissed? (Did they run into him or distract him or prevent him making good his ground?)
7. Should a batter be immune from dismissal as per the Laws by simply being negligent (and leaving his ground too early)?
8. Did England retire Ben Duckett when they disagreed with the Starc catch decision as per the Laws and umpires’ decision?
The hypocrisy and lack of consistency from some people and groups is quite interesting and concerning for the future of our game.
Maybe I am the odd one out here?
The good news is that we are actively engaged with Test cricket, the best form of the game.”
