In the aftermath of the enthralling Ashes 2023 series, Australia's captain, Pat Cummins, has finally broken his silence on the much-discussed post-match drink controversy. At a recent Cricket Australia event hosted at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Cummins shed light on the circumstances that surrounded the traditional post-series beer shared between the two teams.
"It would have been nice to have a beer with them," admitted the Australian skipper. He added, "After a great Ashes, it would have been good. Not to be. I think they had a fair few meetings on in their change room and we hung around for a bit. But we had a pretty good night."
Australian media had been rife with claims that the English squad avoided the customary post-series drinks with the hosts, especially after their win in the last Test. The series had its share of on-field tensions, notably stemming from Jonny Bairstow's contentious dismissal at Lord's, leading to speculations that this incident could have influenced the drink snub.
The scenario was further heated when Australian players, including Cummins, reportedly tried to access the English dressing room after the final Test, presumably for the shared drink. Their efforts were in vain as they found the door locked. The English side later clarified the situation, attributing the missed drink session to planned post-match functions for retiring players and select staff. England's captain, Ben Stokes, took to Twitter to reveal that both teams eventually convened at a nightclub due to the prolonged post-match engagements.
Supporting Cummins' statement, Australian cricketer Travis Head shared his experience of the situation. He confirmed that the Australian team patiently waited outside England's dressing room for almost an hour with hopes of a traditional post-game handshake. Emphasising on understanding the broader context, Head mentioned that the actions by the English team weren't borne out of malice. Rather, it was more a misalignment of schedules than intentional avoidance.
Head had previously said in an interview, "We didn't go there together... It's just by design again that both teams found themselves at the same place," reinforcing the idea that despite any apparent controversies, the spirit of the game remained intact among both teams.
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