Jonny Bairstow bemused at headbutt greeting
Even before the Ashes began, the series was embroiled in
controversy as Jonny Bairstow apparently greeted the Australian player, Cameron
Bancroft, with a ‘headbutt’. The England wicketkeeper, however, admitted that
while headbutting someone is malicious, his head thump greeting was “nothing.”
"A headbutt, to me, is something that has malicious
intent
"The reality is that it was nothing,” Bairstow wrote in
his Daily Mail column.
He then went on to admit that he was just goofing around and
didn’t have an ounce on aggression in his intent.
"[It was] boys being boys ... there was minimal
contact, I can tell you that."
After the incident, however, a media storm erupted –
something that baffled him.
"Did I feel as if I had been stitched up? Yes I did in
many ways.
"But at the same time, I honestly never thought of it
as anything to worry about.
Bairstow, however, was adamant that his intentions were
clean and he meant no wrongdoing – and, according to him, even the management
knew that.
"I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and, more
importantly, the team and management knew that too.
During the Test, the Aussie players were seen to be sledging
the wicketkeeper, claiming that they were just trying to get under his skin to
loosen his concentration. However, Bairstow claims that it had no role in him
getting out in the second innings.
"Australia, as they have admitted, were trying to use
it to get under my skin."
"It did get to me a bit when they started sledging me,
because I didn't know what they were talking about.
"But I can honestly say the shot I got out to in the
second innings had nothing to do with it.
"I [just] played a bad shot."
Some quarters of the cricket fraternity weren’t too pleased
with Australia’s antics, with England legend Bob Willis claiming that the
Kangaroos need to behave on the field and not go overboard with the sledging.
And Bairstow also seemed to be on the same page as his
compatriot, claiming that while what has been done hasn’t harmed any
relationships, he hopes that the Aussies refrain from getting too personal.
"Some other things, apart from the 'headbutt' business,
were said by Australia in the middle - but what they were is staying
there," he said.
"We move on. I hope it's gone now. I'm not making an
issue of it.
"Only if they are said again would the matter go
further.
"I've not lost any friendships over the last couple of
weeks, put it like that."
