England cricket managing director Rob Key said on Tuesday the team management would investigate allegations that players engaged in excessive drinking during a mid-series break ahead of the Adelaide Test in the Ashes series.
The England squad spent four nights in Noosa, a coastal resort in Queensland, between the second and third Tests. The trip, organised by head coach Brendon McCullum, was described by team officials as an opportunity to reset after heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane.
Key, who did not travel with the squad, said he had initially been unconcerned about the players’ conduct but would look into reports that likened the trip to a “drinking stag-do” following England’s loss in Adelaide.
“If there are claims that players drank excessively, then of course we will investigate,” Key told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. “That is not something I would expect from an international team at any stage.”
Key added that, based on what he had been told so far, the players had behaved responsibly, saying they had mostly stayed in, shared meals and consumed alcohol in moderation.
“I have no issue with the trip if it was about getting away, switching off and spending time together,” he said. “But if it went beyond that, it would be unacceptable.”
England have suffered consecutive defeats in the Ashes series and have already relinquished the urn. The team will now look to limit further damage when they face Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
-IANS
