Ashes 2019: Australia defeated England by 185 runs to retain the Ashes and the Aussie players and staff made sure Old Trafford ground celebrated along with them.
Ashes 2019: Australia defeated England by 185 runs to retain the Ashes and the Aussie players and staff made sure Old Trafford ground celebrated along with them.
However, during the celebration, Steve Smith was seen mocking Jack Leach as he tried batting left-handed and also was seen sporting glasses which are similar to the English pacer.
It all started when Leach and Ben Stokes stitched a 76-run stand at Headingley and Specsavers, the official sponsor of Ashes 2019, gave Leach a spectacle subscription for life.
But all this attention towards Leach has got former England cricket team batsman Kevin Pietersen annoyed. He has criticised the spin bowler for becoming a “laughing stock”.
Pietersen said that fans’ admiration of Leach’s performance was overlooked by the 28-year-old’s poor bowling contributions.
“You’ve got people in the stands taking the mickey out of him, wearing masks and fake glasses,” the South African-born former batsman wrote in a blog for Betway.
“Commentators are talking about his Specsavers deal. England are losing an Ashes series and he’s only taken eight wickets at 30 in three Test matches.
“It doesn’t look like he’s troubled, anyone. It just annoys me.”
Following the third Test, a video also emerged of Leach re-enacting his single run with his England teammates on the pitch in Leeds.
“Now I’m not saying that you don’t do these things,” Pietersen said. “It can be good for team spirit to have a bit of fun, but from my side, I want to win.
“I don’t want to see the crowd about how funny he is. I want to see him winning matches for England with his bowling.
“When we beat Australia, Graeme Swann took big wickets for us. For Australia, Shane Warne and now Nathan Lyon take big wickets.
“We had Monty Panesar. But Monty, who everybody laughed at when he fielded the ball, knocked over the likes of [Sachin] Tendulkar and [Virender] Sehwag, [and] got big Australian wickets.
“When we beat India in India, he and Swann bowled beautifully. Yes, some people laughed, but he was still doing his job. Jack Leach isn’t doing his job.
“So what does he want to be remembered as? Does he want to be remembered as this funny guy who can hold a bat, or as a match-winner for England?”
The fifth and final Ashes Test match will start at The Oval on Thursday, and Leach has been named in an unchanged England squad.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Jack Leach and Kevin Pietersen")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}