ECB's Verdict Out On England's Excessive Drinking Reports During Ashes, Report Says: "Nothing More Damning Than..."
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly concluded its investigation into reports of excessive drinking by the England cricket team between the second and third Ashes Tests
- The ECB concluded its investigation into England's Ashes drinking allegations with no action taken
- England players spent four nights at Noosa Beach Resort between the second and third Ashes Tests
- The investigation found no serious misconduct beyond beer drinking during the Noosa break
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly concluded its investigation into reports of excessive drinking by the England cricket team between the second and third Ashes Tests. Between the end of the second Test (December 7) and the start of the third Test (December 17), the England team spent four nights at the Noosa beach resort in Queensland, Australia. Several reports claimed that members of the England team indulged in heavy drinking sessions. A video of England players in an allegedly inebriated state also went viral.
Now, according to an exclusive report in the Daily Mail: "No formal action will now be taken against the players, there is an acceptance among some members of the management that aspects of this Ashes tour have been too loose."
"It was asking for trouble to send the squad en masse to a tiny resort like Noosa, rather than encourage the players to disperse during what became a nine-day gap between the second and third Tests.
The investigation turned up nothing more damning than beer drinking, confirming the suspicion among the England hierarchy that anything serious would have been reported immediately, not delayed until after the Ashes had been lost."*
According to reports, top ECB official Rob Key claimed that the reason for the "no misconduct" verdict was that nothing was flagged by the security apparatus around the team in Australia.
"The England cricket team had security personnel assigned for the trip to Noosa, who were also authorised to intervene if any misbehaviour or red-flag activities appeared. However, they weren't needed to step in, and the break was more like a bachelorette party," the report said.
Nevertheless, this will give the England team much relief as it heads to Sydney for their next and final assignment Down Under - the fifth and final Test of the series starting on January 4.
England, after slumping to an unassailable 0-3 deficit, salvaged some pride and avoided a whitewash against Australia by winning the fourth Test in Melbourne within two days. Ben Stokes and his men would like to end the series on a high note by making it 3-2 with a win in the final encounter in Sydney.
England Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team