England players went to casinos several times during Ashes, disobeyed Ben Stokes' orders; captain, coach divided: Report

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed a comprehensive review into the workings of the management that led to a disastrous tour Down Under. Both Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have expressed their desire to continue in their respective positions and help England emerge from its slumber, but given the current state of affairs, it’s far easier said than done.

A new report in The Telegraph has presented some damning findings, highlighting how the England camp visited casinos during the series and how players indulged in excessive beer consumption. This report follows news of England’s ODI captain Harry Brook being involved in an altercation during the series against New Zealand, just a month before the Ashes.

The white-ball series against New Zealand, which preceded the Ashes, was where it all began to go downhill as England players developed unhealthy patterns of boozy behaviour. The Ashes campaign started to unravel even before the first ball was bowled. It all also started spiralling out of control even before captain Stokes landed in Australia.

Rift between Stokes and McCullum

Stokes and McCullum, labelled as the true game-changers by the English media in 2022, have always been partners-in-crime and have never spoken out of tune. However, the equation appears to have shifted during the Ashes, and the changing dynamics between the two have become apparent.

The differences between Stokes and McCullum first came to light during the gap between the first and second Ashes Test. According to the Telegraph, Stokes wanted extra training leading up to the day-night Test in Brisbane; however, McCullum wanted to take it easy and not put more pressure on the players.

The Brisbane Test then led to further tensions developing between Stokes and McCullum, as the English captain employed timid tactics, which allowed Australia's tail to score runs. The report goes on to state that McCullum was unable to hide his frustration in the changing room at what he saw in the middle, and he was left baffled to see Stokes not coming onto bowl later in the series.

The differences were so much that McCullum even felt that Stokes was blinking under pressure. Hence, it is no surprise that the duo made differing statements in public. Stokes said that Australia is no place for “weak men”, asking his players to step up and show fight, while on the other hand, McCullum said the team “overtrained”.

The infamous Noosa trip

Between the gaps on the road to the second and third Ashes Tests, the England camp took a break and went to Noosa. The short tour was criticised, considering the visitors were 0-2 down, and the threat of losing the Ashes was real. Several former England players criticised McCullum and Stokes for not training enough.

The matter was complicated further when England made no visible effort to hide away. The Telegraph report stated that several players drank for six days straight. No one apart from Joe Root had their families on tour until the Adelaide Test.

The off-field drama did not stop in Noosa. England's newest star, Jacob Bethell, was caught on camera vaping during a night out with other England players prior to the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The visitors went on to win the game within two days, registering their first Test win on Australian soil in 14 years. Still, the drama kept escalating.

Ben Duckett, too, was in the eye of the storm, following a viral video which showed him struggling to find an Uber. The clip sparked drinking allegations against the opener, and the fact of struggling for runs made it all the more difficult for him.

The report on the England team's performance during the Ashes further stated that it was Ollie Pope who stood by Duckett, putting aside his disappointment at being dropped.

That England players returned home after the demoralising loss in the Ashes, while head coach McCullum made his way to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions horse race meet, and sale summed up the drama. Australia is often viewed as the place where careers end, and it could well have witnessed the death knell for Bazball. Besides, to make things worse, the drifting relations between McCullum and Stokes is what makes matters trickier.

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