Australian ‘villain’ Alex Carey not off limits for Barmy Army taunts, managing director hints
Alex Carey is aware that he is perceived as a villain in the eyes of English fans, but the Australian can not say he wasn’t warned of the looming taunts from the Barmy Army.
The infamous stumping of Jonny Bairstow on the final day of the second Test at Lords during the 2023 Ashes was a moment that saw Carey fall out of favour with the English.
Carey’s well-timed shot at the stumps while Bairstow walked out of his crease sparked ugly scenes inside the Lord’s Long Room, prompted mass debate across the cricket sphere and remains one of the most talked about incident’s to this day.
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England have kept relatively quiet about the incident during their media commitments in the build-up to the first Test, but that does not mean the Barmy Army will, too, be silent.
In fact, Barmy Army managing director Chris Millard warned the several Australian stars, including Carey, should expect to hear some taunts from the stands.
“We’ve lost David Warner, which is a shame for the Barmy Army, but we’ve got Steve Smith – I reckon he can be ready to feel the heat a little bit,” Millard told Wide World of Sports with Adam Hawse.
The Barmy Army celebrate a six hit by Stuart Broad during day two of the Ashes Test match in 2018. PA Images via Getty Images
“We have a new pantalone villain in Alex Carey now. After what happened at Lords, there will be a few England fans singing some songs to get under his skin a little bit.
“Everyone I have spoke to [around Perth] … they have mentioned the Lords incident to me. We need to get under the skin of Alex Carey as best as we can.”
The Perth sector of the Barmy Army had reportedly promised not to hurl abuse towards Carey, with boos also said to be off limits in the first Test.
But Carey doesn’t believe that reported rule will “stand for the whole series”.
Alex Carey speaks to media. Getty Images for Cricket Austral
However, Millard seemed hopeful that the Australian wicketkeeper would embrace the songs and chants directed at him from the English crowd.
“It is definitely right of passage for the England team,” he continued.
“We know how much the players love it. If you have a Barmy Army song, you are a proper Test cricketer.”
Millard revealed that the Barmy Army has a confirmed 3,000 fans travelling to Australia, with an additional 37,000 English fans also expected to have tickets across the series.
Of that group, the age range is between three and 85.
“There is a lot of anticipation around this series,” Millard said.
“The excitement is incredible … people just can not wait to get going. It feels like it has been a long time coming. Eight years since we last came, a lot has changed, a lot of cricket has happened, a lot of water under the bridge, but we can’t wait to see that first ball bowled on Friday.”
While Millard will be focused on getting the English crowd roaring, Carey has his sights set on delivering his best performance in front of a vibrant home crowd.
“Whatever [the support] looks like for the whole group, not just myself, it should be amazing,” Carey said.
“In the Ashes, growing up watching, you’ve got your heroes and you’ve got your villains.
“It depends what side of the fence you sit on. That’s what makes it so special.
“You’ve got amazing Australian fans supporting us, and English fans supporting them. Whatever happens in between makes for great viewing.”
