Aussie cricket stars say England slapped them with ‘pathetic’ disapproval after fifth Ashes Test as teams get into a war of words over having a beer
Aussie cricket stars say England slapped them with ‘pathetic’ disapproval after fifth Ashes Test as teams get into a war of words over having a beer
- Aussies rejected by English side after loss
- Hosts say it’s just a misunderstanding
- Tourists were adamant that they were fobbed off
The Australian camp has left a sour taste in their mouths after the Ashes, after being frowned upon by England for the traditional post-series drinks in a move they have labeled ‘pathetic’.
Australian players were spotted checking into the hosts dressing rooms after play to see if they could have a beer before finally giving up and leaving The Oval at around 10.45pm.
The England team was spotted out of the ground shortly after the Aussies left.
Post-series drinks have long been a tradition of international cricket, with players usually gathering once meetings and family time are over.
However, they fell through at The Oval on Monday night after Australia’s 49-point loss to England.
The Aussie side believes they were rejected for post-series drinks on Monday night
A source close to the Australian cricket team called the act ‘pathetic’ and said it questioned ‘the spirit of cricket’
That’s what a source close to the Aussie team told me foxsports.com.au that England has finally snubbed tourists.
“We don’t really care, we got the urn, but after a hard-fought run, it’s pretty pathetic,” the source said.
“Speaking of the spirit of cricket.”
Australian players reportedly asked several times to enter the England barns, but the door was locked and the tourists were not allowed in.
The toursts are known to have been disappointed by the lack of social relations throughout the series, with the two teams drinking together late into the night after the fifth Test at the same venue in 2019.
English sources have since revealed they expected to drink with Australia after their meetings and elaborate retirement presentations, but were surprised to learn the tourists had left.
The hosts attribute the drama to a misunderstanding, but the Australian camp insists they were deliberately fobbed off.
It comes after England coach Brendon McCullum threatened to boycott the drinks earlier in the series, following controversial Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s.
England coach Brendon McCullum doubted his side would share drinks with the Aussies after the controversial second Test climax at Lord’s
The Aussies were reportedly disappointed by the snub from the English side
The hosts attribute the whole thing to a misunderstanding and said they were surprised to learn the Aussie’s had left after their post-match encounters
In interviews earlier this month, McCullum and captain Ben Stokes also accused Australia of breaking the spirit of cricket.
Australian players were continuously harassed by English mobs after the incident, with the Lord’s long room incident being just one example of the side regularly labeled cheats.
Tensions between the two teams seemed to ease in recent Tests, albeit with Bairstow continually making exaggerated attempts to keep his composure while batting.
Stokes had also indicated early on Monday evening that relations with Australian players were amicable, with limited sledging in the series.
“That’s the progression of franchise cricket to be honest,” said Stokes.
“There are a lot of players now who have relationships with the opposition, not just England and Australia, but other teams around the world.
‘Certainly at the IPL you can spend nine weeks with someone you play against.
“I spent two or three years in Rajasthan with Steve Smith. You get to know each other and things like that.’
The lack of socializing on Monday night comes after a similar incident following the 2017 Border-Gavaskar where Virat Kohli’s Indian team refused to drink with Australia after a fiery streak.