About ten days after the bizarre rumour that surfaced during the Headingley Test match, Steve Smith tweeted to confirm that Alex Carey has paid for his latest new haircut.

On the third morning of the Headingley Test, Cricket Australia denied the allegations raised by Adam Mahmood of Doc Barnet’s Barber Shop, who said he was “still waiting” for his money after Alex Carey had got a haircut.

Carey, Usman Khawaja, and Marnus Labuschagne were reported to have visited the barber ahead of the Test match. Carey was said to have not had any cash on him and promised to send Mahmood £30 by bank transfer by Monday, July 10, which Carey apparently failed to.

The saga also involved Alastair Cook, who had described Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s to Mahmood. “I told him Carey had done a runner, he’s starting to get quite the reputation,” Mahmood told The Sun.

Cook had himself narrated the story on BBC Test Match Special on the first day of the Headingley Test match.

AAP journalist Scott Bailey reported that the Australian management had rubbished the claim, adding that Carey had not had a haircut since the World Test Championship final against India in June.

Cook later apologised on BBC TMS: “There’s also been a bit of fuss around on a rainy day, a bit of news about a haircut which might have been discussed on radio the other day, a case of mistaken identity, so I apologise for the mistaken identity to Alex Carey.”

Now, a day before the fourth Test match, at Headingley, Steve Smith tweeted that Carey had finally had a haircut… and had paid for the same.

I can confirm that Alex Carey has now had a haircut and that he paid for it pic.twitter.com/jmNWh75D6j

— Steve Smith (@stevesmith49) July 18, 2023

Following three classics at Edgbaston, Lord’s, and Headingley, the 2023 Ashes stands 2-1 in the favour of Australia, who already hold the urn.

The action now moves to Old Trafford, where, in 1974, Sunil Gavaskar had requested Dickie Bird for a haircut. Play was held up as Bird took out a pair of scissors from his pocket to oblige on the field. Another two days, and it could have been Carey.