Cricket Australia has categorically denied a false report that wicketkeeper Alex Carey walked out of a Leeds hairdresser without paying.
Speaking to BBC Test Match Special on Thursday, former England captain Alastair Cook incorrectly claimed Carey neglected to pay for a AU$57 haircut at a local hairdresser that only accepted cash.
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“The barber says the Australians had been in,” Cook explained.
“He didn’t know his cricket very well, so he was telling me what they looked like.
“He said Marnus (Labuschagne), the funny one. Then David Warner had a haircut, Usman (Khawaja) had a haircut and he says, ‘Oh there’s another one …’
“He says, ‘One of them, I think Alex is his name’. I said, ‘Alex Carey, wicketkeeper?’
“He says, ‘He hasn’t paid’. It was one of those cash-only barbers, and he promised him he would do a transfer later on in the day.
“True story. He might have paid by now.”
Adam Mahmood, who works at Doc Barnet’s Barber Shop in Leeds, told The Sun: “We don’t accept cards, and Alex said he had no cash on him.
‘There’s a Tesco cash machine literally round the corner he could have run to.
“He could have nipped back to their hotel and been no more than five minutes, but instead he said he would transfer it.
“Maybe he forgot. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt, but if it’s not paid by Monday, I won’t be happy.”
However, CA has unequivocally rubbished the story, revealing that Carey hasn’t received a haircut or visited a barber since last month’s World Test Championship final in London, News Corp reports.
According to CA, a different Australian squad member had visited the barber, later paying for the haircut by international transfer — they have a receipt proving the transaction.
Australian vice-captain Steve Smith posted to Threads: “I can confirm Alex Carey has not had a haircut since we were in London. Get your facts right The Sun.”
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The drama comes after Carey became embroiled in a ‘Spirit of Cricket’ controversy after stumping England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow on day five of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
The 31-year-old was targeted by the Headingley crowd on day one of the third Test, relentlessly booing the South Australian as he walked out to bat in the first innings.
Spectators in the Western Terrace cheered with delight after Carey copped a bouncer to the shoulder during the evening session. Later, a group of Leeds fans recreated the famous scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian by removing their shoes and chanting: “Shoes off if you hate Carey.”
