The electrifying Ashes 2023 ended in a fitting fashion as hosts England fought to draw the 5-match series 2-2 with a thrilling triumph in The Oval Test. Australia had already retained the urn after a match at Old Trafford was washed out, denying England the chance to win the series. However, the drama began to escalate when Alex Carey‘s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s sparked tensions between the teams.
Following the final Test at The Oval, there were reports that the Australian players were kept waiting for a significant amount of time for the post-series drinks, leading to speculation and accusations. Some reports even suggested that Australian players were seen peering into the England dressing rooms after the match concluded. Eventually, the visiting team decided to leave the ground at close to 10.45 pm, as it appeared the drinks gathering was not happening.
Also READ: Ball-change event in 5th Test stirs up controversy; Aussies unhappy
Ben Stokes issues clarification at 4am
Following the controversy, England captain Ben Stokes has issued a clarification regarding the post-series drinks situation. To clear the air and put an end to the hullabaloo, Stokes, took to his official Twitter handle in the early hours of the morning to respond to a journalist. He explained that the delay was due to extended retirement presentations for Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali. The English team had intended to meet up with the Australians for the post-series drinks, but the celebrations following the farewell events took longer than expected.
“To clarify… Our wrap took longer than expected because of multiple last time events. We decided to meet up in the night club rather than the dressing room,” Stokes tweeted, seeking to provide an explanation for the unfortunate situation.
To clarify…
Our wrap took longer than expected because of multiple last time event’s.
We decided to meet up in the night club rather than the dressing room
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 https://t.co/jJ4Qw3uCnm— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) August 1, 2023
Notably, both Broad and Moeen chose to retire from Test cricket following the conclusion of the fifth and final Test. Moeen, who had earlier retired from Test matches, returned to fill in for the injured Jack Leach ahead of the Ashes series. On the other hand, Broad announced his decision to bid farewell to the format after the third day’s play of The Oval Test.
Also READ: Cricket fraternity hails Stuart Broad after his retirement from cricket
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