England Test captain Joe Root, pace bowler Jimmy Anderson and assistant coach Graham Thorpe were reportedly ordered by police to leave the Hobart hotel bar in the early hours of the morning following the team’s loss in the fifth and final Ashes Test here.
A report in inews.co.uk said on Tuesday that “embarrassing video footage of Root, Anderson and Thorpe being ordered from their hotel bar” had emerged following the 146-run defeat in the Pink-ball Test.
The tourists lost the five-match series 0-4.
The report also said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had confirmed that “they will launch an investigation into the incident”. Three Australian players were also reportedly present in the bar.
“The video appears to corroborate claims that senior management have allowed a drinking culture to develop in the squad and compounds the pressure on (England) head coach Chris Silverwood and his team following a humiliating 4-0 series defeat by Australia,” said the report.
The mobile phone footage captures the group of players, also including Australia’s Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey and Travis Head, in the outside bar area on the fourth floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in central Hobart around 6 a.m. after Australia’s win in the final Test that was achieved inside three days, the report added.
A 30-second video posted on theroar.com.au supposedly of the incident shows the England and Australian cricketers surrounded by several police personnel, with an officer clearly heard calling out the names of Nathan Lyon, Joe Root and Alex Carey.
A female officer is also heard saying to the group, “Too loud… You have obviously been asked to pack up, so we’ve been asked to come. Time for bed. Thank you. They just want to pack up.”
The police reportedly came to the hotel after receiving a “noise complaint”.
A police statement said, “Tasmania Police attended the Crowne Plaza Hobart on Monday morning after reports were made of intoxicated people in a function area. The guests were spoken to by police just after 6am and left the area when asked. No further action will be taken by police.”
An ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying that, “During the early hours of Monday morning, members of the England and Australia men’s teams shared a drink in the team areas of the hotel in Hobart. The hotel management received a noise complaint by a member of the public, and is commonplace in Australia, the local police attended the scene. When asked to leave by hotel management and the Tasmanian police, the players and management in question left and returned to their respective hotel rooms. The England party have apologised for any inconvenience caused. The ECB will investigate further. Until such times, we will make no further comment.”
