Watch: Following the controversy around Quinton de Kock running out Fakhar Zaman in the recent South Africa-Pakistan ODI, a video of Jonny Bairstow deceiving Steve Smith from the 2019 Ashes has resurfaced.
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Unlike de Kock, Bairstow had nothing to gain from the attempt as he did not have the ball in hand when he acted like he did, forcing Smith to put in a desperate dive at the wicketkeeper’s end.
The throw from the deep was only coming in when Bairstow feigned collecting the ball and looking to run Smith, who was rushing to the striker’s end, out. The Australian wasn’t watching the ball and merely went by Bairstow’s gestures and put in a full-length dive. The ball was actually thrown at the non-striker’s end where Jofra Archer collected it nonchalantly.
Smith, to his credit, took it in his stride and was pretty candid about it, smiling as he talked about it through the press conference.
“He got me there, didn’t he? Dirtied my clothes. He didn’t say anything, I don’t think but he got me. I didn’t know where the ball was. Bloody thing. Faked it. He got me. I don’t know what else to say,” said Smith.
Watch the incident here:
Cheeky from Jonny Bairstow 😉pic.twitter.com/icYpYzJ2Yt
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 13, 2019
Watch Smith’s response in the press conference here:
Steve Smith was in no danger of being run out here … but Jonny Bairstow made him think he was! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/YajKdVcmc8
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 13, 2019
