‘Well-oiled’ casino visits and Bazball ‘terse words’: Report details fresh claims in ‘loose, careless’ Ashes tour

A lengthy new report has detailed fresh concerns over the antics of some England cricket team members during the recent failed Ashes tour.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has launched an immediate and “thorough” review of the demoralising 4-1 series loss to Australia.

As soon as the series was over, ECB chief executive Richard Gould released a statement calling the team’s failure to regain the Ashes “deeply disappointing”.

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England’s preparations, coaching and off-field behaviour all came under the microscope during the series.

On Saturday, The Telegraph detailed England’s wretched time Down Under in a report penned by Nick Hoult and Will Macpherson.

The report began with an anecdote focusing on fast bowler Brydon Carse, who was at a Perth cafe with Zak Crawley and Harry Brook the morning after England lost the first Test inside two days.

“Carse put his hand in his pocket, and accidentally dislodged what eyewitnesses described as thousands of dollars in cash that flew into the air,” Hoult and Macpherson wrote in The Telegraph.

“Patrons of the cafe, including English cricket journalists enjoying a quiet coffee, were left scrambling to grab the cash and return it to Carse. Crawley looked mortified.

“The incident, whether innocent or otherwise, acts as an emblem for an Ashes tour that was loose, careless and at times downright baffling.”

The article also detailed several other claims:

— Senior England officials early on in the Australian tour felt “uneasy about the planning, or lack of it, for the Ashes”.

— At least one senior England player arrived in Perth early ahead of schedule “because he turned up on tour overweight”.

— Some England players, staying at Crown Towers in Perth, frequented the casino’s tables – “often well-oiled” – in full view of fans.

— A chasm between captain Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum “began to diverge” ahead of the second Test in Brisbane, with the duo at odds over whether the team needed extra training after the early first Test finish. McCullum, “to the surprise of some onlookers”, struggled to hide his frustration in the England changerooms as Australia’s tail wagged on Day 3 at the Gabba. The report stated: “One insider believed McCullum felt Stokes was blinking under pressure.”

— With England facing defeat at the Gabba, “terse words were exchanged” among the English camp on the morning of Day 4.

— After losing the third Test in Adelaide – and consequently the Ashes – Stokes asked his players not to head out on the town … but the order was “not obeyed by all players, with at least one spotted out later than the Australians”.

You can read the full report here.

While captain Stokes appears safe from the axe, the roles of head of cricket Rob Key and McCullum are set to come under the microscope.

British media, including the BBC, have reported that Key and McCullum are likely to survive to show they can make improvements to the England set-up.

England’s next Test assignment is not until June, at home to New Zealand. Coming up fast is the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month when McCullum will expect to be in charge of the squad, which will be captained by Harry Brook.

— with AFP