Carey bounces back from Ashes death threats as McDonald defends Smith
By Malcolm Conn
Alex Carey’s match-winning heroics in the second Test at Christchurch come with a background of death threats during the Ashes last year which threatened to derail his career.
The abuse Carey received on social media after stumping Jonny Bairstow when he walked out of his crease during the second Test at Lord’s included threats aimed at Carey and his family.
Sources close to the team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely, for the first time confirmed the nature of the threats, which were investigated by cybersecurity police. Cricket Australia declined to comment.
Carey and his family took time away from the team after the second Test.
His form suffered after Lord’s, with some uncertain glovework for the remainder of the England tour and just two half-centuries in his last 15 innings leading to his match-winning, unbeaten 98 in Christchurch which gave Australia a 2-0 series sweep.
Mobile phone videos and security cameras caught dozens of Lord’s members abusing the Australians and chanting “cheat” when they walked through the Long Room and up the stairs to lunch. Months later, one member was expelled and two suspended.
Carey’s unbeaten 98 gave Australia a series clean sweep which appeared unlikely at times in Christchurch.Credit: photosport.nz
“We got some pretty instant feedback,” Carey said of Lord’s later in the tour. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I absolutely respect that. And then everyone’s entitled to their opinion on the spirit of cricket as well.
“There’s a few chants that I was actually humming along to while I was batting, just trying to change the words a little bit.
“There’s some nasty stuff being said, but it is the Ashes. There was nasty stuff said before that as well. So yeah, I feel really well-supported. I think the whole group does. From Australia, I still think we’ve got lots of fans, and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any, but we probably didn’t lose any.
“The support that I’ve been given here amongst the group – not just myself, I guess the whole group’s had some stuff spoken about them. But we’re really tight. We understand what’s important and who matters, and those guys [the touring party] definitely have our back.”
Australian coach Andrew McDonald also went in to bat for Steve Smith despite the former captain’s meagre returns since moving to the top of the order.Credit: Getty
Speaking before the death threat revelations, coach Andrew McDonald praised Carey for his ability to build pressure after Australia’s second-innings collapse in Christchurch.
“His ability to counterattack and that of the middle order to counterattack as a collective, that shone through today,” McDonald said. “Some of the options he took and the intent that he had.”
McDonald also suggested that Steve Smith looks set for an extended run at the top of the order after labelling criticism of his recent poor output unfair.
Smith finished the two-Test series with an average of 12.75, ahead of only Mitchell Starc’s 12.25, giving Australia’s best since Bradman an average of 28.5 across four Tests opening the batting.
“I don’t think it’s deserved,” McDonald said of the criticism levelled at Smith. “I think he’ll be able to work through that. It’s a new challenge for him. It’s a new position.
“And if you’re bringing in a new opener and you gave them four Test matches and then said, ‘OK, we’re going to shift that after four Test matches’. Would you think that’s fair or unfair? I think it’s reasonably unfair.”
Australia now have a nine-month break from Test cricket after playing 17 Tests in little more than a year going back to the tour of India. After that they won the World Test Championship against India at the Oval in June, retained the Ashes on enemy soil and claimed the 50-over World Cup during November in India against India.
Despite the break, which will include the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA during June, and the ageing nature of the side, McDonald claimed the squad “had the players to take the team forward”.
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