Photo courtesy: IANS
Australia’s premier batsman, Steve Smith, has disclosed that England declined to share drinks with the Australian team multiple times after the final Ashes Test. Smith revealed that his teammates became frustrated and left The Oval as the English players were busy celebrating.
After England’s victory in the final Test that ended the series 2-2, reports indicated that the Australians were denied access to England’s changing rooms for the customary post-match drink session. England captain Ben Stokes later stated on Twitter that the two teams met up in a nightclub afterward.
Smith explained, “We did knock on the door a couple of times. We were waiting around, and Stokesy came out and said ‘two minutes,’ but about an hour passed. We thought, ‘we can’t just keep waiting here. Are we going to have a beer or not?’ The guys got frustrated and decided it was time to leave.”
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England opener Zak Crawley had previously mentioned that the English team had organized an elaborate send-off for retiring players Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali, as well as their long-time physio. This left no room for the traditional drinks-sharing with the Australians.
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Smith expressed his disappointment, saying, “It was unfortunate, the first time in my career we haven’t had a drink with them after a series. It was a bit of a shame. They caught up with a few of the boys in the nightclub later that night. I had gone home by then, but it was a shame not to have a beer and reflect on what was a pretty cool series.”
Looking ahead, Smith’s immediate challenge in international cricket is opening the batting for Australia in the T20I series in South Africa. This role is new for him. Despite limited success in T20Is lately, Smith’s back-to-back centuries for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL have paved his way back into Australia’s T20I squad. With the retirement of Aaron Finch, the team is searching for openers.
“They said they were going to give me an opportunity at the top a couple of weeks ago. It’s something I’m eager to do. I had some success in the Big Bash. It’s probably where you want to bat in T20 cricket. I’m getting the chance, and I hope I can make the most of it,” Smith said.
-IANS
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