Jonny Bairstow says he was 'stitched up' over headbutt controversy

England wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow thinks he was "stitched up" over his infamous 'headbutt' greeting of Australia opener Cameron Bancroft.

The Yorkshire wicketkeeper chose an unusual way to introduce himself to Bancroft when they met in a Perth bar at the start of the Ashes tour six weeks ago.

But the incident only hit the headlines when the Aussies chose to remind Bairstow about it in the middle during their first Test win in Brisbane.

The England team management introduced a tour curfew of midnight in response but Bairstow was not punished and insists the incident was overblown.

Writing in his Daily Mail column, he said: "A headbutt, to me, is something that has malicious intent.

"The reality is that it was nothing. Boys being boys. There was minimal contact, I can tell you that.

"Did I feel as if I had been stitched up? Yes it did, in many ways. But at the same time, I honestly never thought of it as anything to worry about.

"I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and, more importantly, the team and management knew that too. Australia, as they have admitted, were trying to use it to get under my skin."

The tourists lost the first Test by 10 wickets and Bairstow holed out to third man after the Aussies began to remark on the 'headbutt'.