Brendon McCullum's 3 most controversial wicketkeeping run-outs after Jonny Bairstow-Alex Carey saga in Ashes 2023

Commenting on Alex Carey's much-talked-about stumping of Jonny Bairstow after losing the second Ashes 2023 Test, England head coach Brendon McCullum said his team won't have a friendly beer with Australian players "anytime soon".

'Baz' also said on Test Match Special that the question is about the 'Spirit of the game', which, he has realized, should be protected. We have come to expect this moral high ground from the English of late. 'Bazball' and its marketing that England always win even if they lose because they 'entertain' is just another addition to it.

However, to see that from a former New Zealand international is new. Kane Williamson was graceful in defeat when his team lost a bigger match, the 2019 ODI World Cup final, to similarly controversial rules. McCullum at that time was happy to simply look at the positives for his country and give them motivational advice.

What makes it even more confusing is that perhaps McCullum has forgotten he has affected similar stumpings and worse run-outs as a player, the videos of which are now floating everywhere on Twitter.

Here's a look at three such instances:

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#3 Running Chris Mpofu out in 2005

If stumping a batter when he's going for the usual chat with his partner after an over is wrong, how bad is running a player out when they are celebrating a teammate's half-century?

New Zealand toured Zimbabwe for multiple rubbers in 2005, including a two-Test series. In the second Test, Zimbabwe trailed by 254 runs when they came to bat in the second innings. Quickly, the score was 185/9 in the 60th over. Blessing Mahwire in 21 runs in the 61st over and reached 49 off just 33 balls.

He had the strike on the first ball of the next over, bowled by Daniel Vettori, and dabbed one to the empty mid-wicket region to reach his half-century. He started celebrating at the other end and soaked the applause from the dressing room.

His partner and Zimbabwe's No. 11, Chris Mpofu, wanted to join in the celebrations and walked towards him after completing the run. In the meantime, Vettori collected the ball and threw it to McCullum, who took the bails off. Mpofu looked stunned and the dressing room celebrations soon turned to pack-up mode.

Here's a video of the incident:

Zimbabwe lost the match by an innings and 46 runs and the series by a 2-0 margin.

Interestingly, in the previous Test, in which New Zealand won by an innings and 294 runs, McCullum stumped Mpofu in both innings of Vettori's bowling.

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#2 Running Muthiah Muralidaran out in 2006

He did it again a year later. Sri Lanka trailed 52 runs in the second innings of the first of the 2006 two-match Test tour of New Zealand in Christchurch. Kumar Sangakkara scored a brilliant 154-ball hundred, taking Sri Lanka from 99/8 to 170/9.

But the shot that got him to his century, a simple clip to fine-leg, also brought the 10th Sri Lankan wicket. When Sangakkara was just raising his bat to celebrate, non-striker Muthiah Muralitharan tapped at the crease at the other end and started towards his partner to congratulate him. But he was only a few steps down the line when McCullum received the ball from deep and took the bails off.

Here's a video of the same:

New Zealand won the Test by five wickets but the visitors drew the series 1-1.

Both run-outs were under the rules of the game (because the ball was not dead) and neither batter was trying to take advantage or a second run.

Still, there was hardly any debate on the 'Spirit of Cricket' back then. One can imagine the furor if anyone did it today while an opposition batter was celebrating a ton.

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Brendon McCullum's ironical attempted stumping of Paul Collingwood in 2009

The most ironic incident from an Australian point of view happened during the 2009 Champions Trophy. England batted first in the 10th match of the league stage and on the last ball of the 11th over, Paul Collingwood left alone a short ball outside the off-stump from Kyle Mills and walked to have a chat with his partner.

In almost identical to Carey, McCullum threw the ball at stumps and it caught Collingwood short. Here's a video of the same:

Although then-captain Vettori withdrew his appeal and shook hands with Collingwood, McCullum clearly found it right to do what he did.

Collingwood was at 14 off 24 balls at the time and went on to top score with a 40 (58) as England were bowled out for 146. New Zealand chased it down in 27.1 overs with McCullum hitting a 48 (39).

Now, Collingwood is McCullum's assistant coach in England.