Steve Smith's laughter has caused the latest barney in an Ashes series that's becoming increasingly heated, with counterpart Joe Root vowing to use it as extra motivation in the day-night Test in Adelaide.
Smith struggled to contain himself while sitting alongside Cameron Bancroft during the post-match media conference following the first Test, which Australia won by 10 wickets.
Bancroft had almost the entire room in stitches with his deadpan delivery, claiming he has the heaviest head in WA's squad while recalling the night Jonny Bairstow headbutted him.
But Root was far from impressed with the hysterical conduct of Smith.
"If that's not motivation to the players I don't know what is. Seriously," Root told reporters on Friday, the eve of the second Test at Adelaide Oval.
"I know it's an Ashes series, there is a lot on the line and naturally you are going to be motivated.
"But, knowing the characters in our dressing room, that will really give them a bit of something else to make sure we put things right this week.
"I'd like to think that Steve has a good amount of humility about him and that he's laughing at the scenario and the comments rather than the situation."
Smith said on Friday he "certainly wasn't mocking" England and would happily clarify as much with Root.
"I was laughing at Cameron and the way he delivered the events of what had happened ... he was very dry," Smith told reporters.
"You guys got a good laugh out of it as much as I did."
Steve Waugh, ex-England captain Michael Vaughan, who re-enacted Bairstow's headbutting of Bancroft in a parody video with Adam Gilchrist, and Kevin Pietersen were among many who couldn't see the fuss.
"I reckon it's one of the best press conferences I've ever seen," Pietersen said this week.
"It was magnificent.
"Smudger (Smith) was crying, he was laughing that much.
"I don't watch too many videos on social media but I was glued to that four minutes."
Serial sledger Jimmy Anderson, who is acting vice-captain in the absence of suspended allrounder Ben Stokes, also made it clear her was unimpressed by Smith's laughter.
"Australia were taking the mickey out of England after the first Test (in the post-match press conference) and it was infuriating to listen to and watch," Anerson wrote in a column for UK newspaper The Telegraph.
"All it did was make us more determined to ensure we come here ready for a battle."
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