England’s decision to take the mid-Ashes break on the Sunshine Coast has sparked an onslaught from the Australian media, but rival wicketkeeper Alex Carey has defended their right to “refresh the batteries”.
The touring team’s four-day trip to the seaside town of Noosa has long been on the agenda of their two-month itinerary, but after falling 2-0 behind after defeats in Perth and Adelaide, the knives are out Down Under.
England is followed by photographers, television reporters and writers, with photos of players ordering beers and relaxing on the beach doing the rounds.
Headlines such as ‘The sun is shining, the flight is over’, ‘Life is a beach, even for sinking Poms’, ‘Overprepared to the bitter end’ have appeared next to the images.
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Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has defended England’s beach trip
(Robbie Stephenson/PA)
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Captain Ben Stokes even agreed to pose for a good-humored photo with representatives from coastal radio station 92.7MixFm, alongside two men in all-cricket whites holding signs reading ‘For Sale Moral Victories’ and ‘Bazballers Anonymous Free Counselling’.
It is clear that England expects to be followed by paparazzi, especially after being followed on the golf course by a drone in Perth, and is not bothered by that.
Carey, meanwhile, has spoken out in favor of a cricketer’s right to step back in the middle of one of the sport’s most intense battles.
“The Ashes are very closely fought, you don’t want to be thinking about cricket every day of the tour. If you have a little break it’s probably not a bad time to refresh the batteries,” he said.
“It’s quite a big series with a lot of time between matches. The Australian cricket team gets to go home and be with families for a few days, so touring parties have to find time to fill those small windows.
“It’s entirely up to the touring groups to find ways to take your mind off cricket. It’s not a new thing the English boys are doing, taking a break.”
“And if the media wants to follow certain teams, that’s entirely up to them. We understand that comes with the privilege of playing the game.
“We are in the fortunate position of playing professional sport and people want to follow the journey.”
Criticized
England’s preparations have become an ongoing theme.
A schedule that included just one internal warm-up against the England Lions at a docile Lilac Hill ground before the first Test was criticized by a range of former players, as was the playing XI’s decision to hold a pink-ball practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI prior to the day/night match at the Gabba.
Whether their final period of rest and relaxation, followed by three days of netting in Adelaide, will help turn the tide remains to be seen.
But their task doesn’t get any easier. Pat Cummins has officially returned to the Australian squad as captain after missing the last two games due to back problems.
“He looks like he’s moving really well, you’ve probably seen that at the nets,” Carey said.
“He has been with the group all the time, with a lot of energy, so if he is available, the selectors will undoubtedly sign him.”
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