In the wake of Australia’s 11-day Ashes triumph, England’s cricket director Rob Key has pledged to investigate reports that the team’s Noosa break saw excessive drinking. The decision comes after England lost the first three tests, allowing Australia to retain the Ashes. Key, who did not join the players in Noosa, said he had no problem with the break but would not be happy if evidence of over-indulging emerged.
England’s Noosa Break Under Scrutiny
The England squad visited the resort town of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane between the second and third tests, a long-planned part of the itinerary designed to help players relax and unwind on the long tour. While the team was in Noosa, social media users circulated photos and videos that some claimed showed players drinking heavily. Key said he had heard that the players “sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all of that, had the odd drink.” He added that “If it goes past that, then that’s an issue as far as I’m concerned.”
Rob Key’s Stance on Player Conduct
Key told reporters in Melbourne that he would not be surprised to find the team behaving well, but he would investigate if there were signs of excessive alcohol consumption. “If there’s things where people are saying that our players went out and drank excessively, then of course we’ll be looking into that,” he said. He emphasized that “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something that I’d expect to see at any stage and it would be a fault not to look into what happened there. From everything that I’ve heard so far, they actually were pretty well behaved. Very well behaved.” Key also said that “We’ve got enough ways of finding out exactly what happened and everything that I’ve heard so far that they sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all of that, had the odd drink. I don’t mind that.”
Previous Incidents and the New Zealand Clip
Key recalled earlier concerns about player conduct in New Zealand. He said he had looked into reports that players had been spotted drinking the night before a match in Wellington shortly before the Ashes. A short clip of white-ball captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell was shared by a member of the public on social media, said to have been taken while they were out in Wellington before the third one-day international on Nov. 1. “I didn’t feel like that was worthy of formal warnings, but it was probably worthy of informal ones,” Key said. “I think that was a bit of a wake-up call actually for what they’re going into. I don’t mind players having a glass of wine over dinner. Anything more than that, I think is ridiculous, really.”
Key’s Final Remarks
Key’s comments come as the fourth test is set to begin Friday in Melbourne. He reiterated that the England squad had behaved appropriately during the Noosa break, stating that “From everything that I’ve heard so far, they actually were pretty well behaved.” He also said that the investigation would use “enough ways of finding out exactly what happened.” The AP cricket hub provides further coverage of the series.
Key Takeaways
- England’s director Rob Key vows to investigate alleged excessive drinking during the team’s Noosa break.
- Key reports that the players were “pretty well behaved” and only had “the odd drink.”
- Earlier incidents in New Zealand prompted informal warnings but not formal ones.
In summary, Rob Key’s statement signals a willingness to scrutinize player conduct while maintaining that the England team behaved responsibly during the Noosa break. The investigation will be conducted as the Ashes series moves into its final stages.
