England have reportedly launched an investigation into claims that some players treated the squad’s trip to Noosa between the second and third Ashes tests as a ‘stag-do’.
After three test matches – in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane – England are 3-0 down and have already lost the five-match series with further matches in Melbourne and Sydney to come.
As expected, the Australian press and public are enjoying the tourists’ demise with tensions heightened ahead of the series as several ex-players talked up England’s chance of winning a series in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.
Now, with the team’s attention already on the Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England’s behaviour off the field is under scrutiny after it was reported that some players drank excessively when the squad spent four nights in the coastal town of Noosa in Queensland between the second and third tests.
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On Monday (December 22), BBC Sport reported that some players, including Joe Root, stayed away from the main drag of bars and instead spent time with their families, while others treated it like a “glorified stag do”.
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The outlet claims that “Some members of the team followed two days of drinking in Brisbane with four more in Noosa - six in total”.
It must be noted that not all players were involved, with BBC Sport reporting that captain Ben Stokes was seen out running during the squad’s trip.
However, conditioning coach Pete Sim had also invited the squad for a run along the coast at 7:45 am one morning, but only three members of the group – Jamie Smith, Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue – took up his invitation.
Managing Director of England and former Kent batsman Rob Key has since addressed the claims and explained how drinking for six days is “unacceptable” before suggesting that an investigation has been launched to establish “the facts”.
"Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it's a stag do and stuff like that,” Key told BBC Sport.
"Stories of players drinking six days solid - that's unacceptable. We'll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on."
"When you see a picture of five or six guys sitting down for lunch, a couple of them having drinks, you need to see what's going on with that.
"If it's true that it became a stag do, and people are out drinking all the time excessively, that's not acceptable. I don't agree with a drinking culture. I don't like a drinking culture."
Topics: Cricket, Ben Stokes, Australia
Luke Davies