ECB apologised for any inconvenience caused on behalf of English players.
England captain Joe Root and fast bowler James Anderson were seen partying in a video alongside three Australian players – Nathan Lyon, Travis Head, and Alex Carey – at England’s team hotel in Hobart following their humiliating Ashes 2021-22 loss to the hosts.
Root, Anderson, Lyon, Head, and Carey reportedly got together to mark the end of the Ashes series at England’s Hobart hotel, with the viral mobile-phone photos and video showing the players enjoying drinking and even having to shut down their party after police were called to the hotel.
In the viral video, which was allegedly taken by England assistant coach Graham Thorpe, he was also seen smoking indoors in Hobart’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. Later, all the players left the area immediately after Tasmania Police asked them to pack up.
Following the shocking incident in Hobart, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday, January 17, confirmed that the board was investigating the incident.
The ECB said in a statement: “During the early hours of Monday morning, members of the England and Australia men's teams shared a drink in the team areas of the hotel in Hobart. The hotel management received a noise complaint by a hotel guest, and as is commonplace in Australia, the local police attended the scene.”
The statement further reads: “When asked to leave by hotel management and the Tasmanian police, the players and management in question left and returned to their respective hotel rooms. The England party have apologized for any inconvenience caused. The ECB will investigate further. Until such times, we will make no further comment.”
Notably, Fox Cricket suggested that a clock tower in the background reads 6.30 am, suggesting the cricketers had stayed up through the night to celebrate the end of the Ashes series on Sunday.
(With PTI Inputs)