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Australia's batting maestro Steve Smith has finally shed light on the much-discussed post-Ashes beer incident in England. Amid varied narratives from both teams regarding why the traditional post-match drink wasn't shared following the fifth Test at The Oval, London, Smith has given his account.
According to Smith, the Australian team waited post-game, but the England players got tied up with Stuart Broad's retirement and the departure of some support staff. Smith voiced his regret over not partaking in this age-old tradition, which signifies camaraderie and mutual admiration. This marked his first time missing this customary post-series interaction.
The usual practice sees the English and Australian sides sharing a beer post-Ashes, a testament to their shared respect. However, the tradition took a backseat this year at the Oval, sparking widespread speculation.
Ben Stokes, England's skipper, took to Twitter to explain that their wrap-up was prolonged due to several retirement ceremonies. Rather than congregating in the locker rooms, the teams later rendezvoused at a nightclub, underscoring the series' intensified rivalry.
Ben Stokes had briefly communicated with the waiting Aussies, Smith recounted to SEN, saying, “We did knock on the door a couple of times. We were waiting around a while and Stokesy came out at one point and said 'two minutes' and about an hour passed.”
"We thought, 'we can't keep sitting here. Are we going to have a beer or not'? The guys got a bit fed up and decided it was time to go. It was unfortunate, it was the first time in my career that we've not had a drink with them after a series and it was a bit of a shame.
"They caught up with a few of the boys in the nightclub later on that night, I had gone home by that stage, but it was a shame not to have a beer and reflect on what was a pretty cool series," he added.
Interestingly, the nightclub encounter was a mere coincidence, as articulated by Australia's Travis Head.
The 2023 Ashes was marred by disputes, notably the contentious dismissal of England's Jonny Bairstow during the second Test. This discord permeated off-field as well, with the Australians attempting several times to engage with their English counterparts, only to be met with tepid reactions. Some Aussie players were even observed trying to access the English dressing rooms post-final test, exiting the premises close to 11 pm.
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