The British and Australian Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese have traded comments after a controversial Ashes Test match between their countries' cricket teams.
During the clash between the two sides at the Mecca of cricket, Lord's, the hosts England lost the match by 43 runs in controversial circumstances, giving the Australians a 2-0 lead in the five-game series.
The Genesis of the Controversy
The row between the Kangaroos and the Three Lions took place on Sunday when England batter Jonny Bairstow was stumped by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey after he believed that there was a break in play.
Carey's move earned worldwide condemnation, with several former cricketers, including ex-Australian spinner Brad Hogg, describing the development as "pushing the spirit of cricket to the boundary" before adding that Bairstow was "not out".
On the other hand, ex-England skipper Geoffrey Boycott urged the Australians to issue an apology over the matter.
"Australia need to have a think about what they did and make a full public apology," Boycott wrote in his column for a British publication.
Also, Bairstow's dismissal proved to be the turning point of the match, with England skipper Ben Stokes left alone to wage the battle on the pitch.
Consequently, it proved all too much for Stokes and his men, with the Australian side sealing a memorable victory in London.
Sunak Labels Dismissal as Running Against Cricket's Spirit
Against this background, British premier Sunak decried the Australian approach through his spokesperson.
The official from Sunak's office suggested that Bairstow's dismissal was against the spirit of the game.
"The prime minister agrees with (England captain) Ben Stokes who said he simply wouldn't want to win a game in the manner that Australia did," Sunak's spokesman stated on Monday.
Sunak's Australian counterpart fired back on Tuesday, declaring that he was "proud" of Pat Cummins and his boys for putting up a scintillating show against the Englishmen at Lord's.
"Same old Aussies -- always winning!" he noted. "(I) look forward to welcoming them home victorious."