Rob Key is set to investigate England’s drinking habits amid reports their Ashes Beach holiday resembled a “stag party”.
The inquiry comes after England’s humiliating performance in Australia saw them hand over the urn after losing their first three Test matches in just 11 days.
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This leaves Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, with a serious question. Alcohol consumption is now a pressing issue.
England’s Josh Tongue (left) and Brendan Cass (right) leave the field after defeat on day five of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide (Robbie Stephenson/PA)
The team visited the idyllic Noosa resort between the second and third Tests, a long-planned itinerary designed for players to relax and unwind during the arduous journey.
Scores of television crews, photographers and reporters followed them to the coast, with some reports focusing on the time some people spent in pubs.
England general manager Key, who was not part of Noosa’s panel, insisted he had no problem with the break but would not be happy if he found evidence of overindulgence.
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“If there were suggestions that our players had been out drinking too much then of course we would investigate that,” he said.
“I would not at any stage expect to see excessive drinking in international cricket and it would be a mistake not to investigate what is going on there. From everything I have heard so far, they are actually well behaved. Very well behaved.”
England Cricket Board general manager Robie Stephenson (/PA) (PA Wire)
He continued: “We have enough means to find out what exactly happened and everything I’ve heard so far is that they sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all that, had the odd drink. I don’t mind. If it goes beyond that, then to me that’s a problem.
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“I don’t have a problem with a trip to Noosa, if it’s just to get away, throw away your phone, put your tools down, go to the beach, all those kinds of things. If it’s getting into a place where they drink regularly and it’s all the types of things Bucks do, that’s completely unacceptable. I’m not a drinker and I don’t think the drinking culture is going to help anyone in any way.”
England captain Ben Stokes bats the ball on the tennis courts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the fourth Ashes Test on Tuesday
Key also revealed he had previously investigated reports that players were caught drinking the night before an Ashes match in New Zealand.
A member of the public took to social media to share a short clip of white-ball captains Harry Brooke and Jacob Besser, said to have been taken during their outing in Wellington ahead of the third ODI on November 1.
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“I don’t think it warrants a formal warning, but it might warrant an informal warning,” he said.
“There’s been no action, like formal action. We haven’t really had these issues with any player in four years and we have a whole process in place to deal with things like that and what do you do if they’re out of line.
“I think it’s actually a wake-up call for what they’re about to face. I don’t mind players having a glass of wine with dinner. Other than that, I think it’s really ridiculous.”