An England player was reportedly left “mortified” by what one of his teammates did following the side’s first Ashes Test defeat against Australia in Perth.
Brendon McCullum’s squad began their tour of Australia with more than just the hope of securing a first Ashes triumph away from home since the 2010/11 campaign.
Many expected England to return the Urn, given the fact that several key Australian players, including strike bowlers Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins, were sidelined with injuries.
However, the tourists quickly learned that the 2025/26 tour was going to be a battle, and ultimately one they would go on to lose 4-1 after defeats in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Sydney.
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England did secure a consolation victory in the two-day Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after the Aussies had already retained the Ashes by going 3-0 up in Adelaide before Christmas.
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Despite many players struggling on the pitch, some England stars’ behaviour off the field has also been called into question, with several players accused of treating a mid-series trip to the Queensland town of Noosa as a “glorified stag-do”, prompting an investigation by England Cricket.
However, no further action was taken.
Then, following the fifth and final Test in Sydney, white-ball captain Harry Brook issued a public apology after it was revealed that he was on his “final warning” for his conduct after reports emerged about a “late-night altercation” with a bouncer in New Zealand ahead of the Ashes.
A report from The Telegraph revealed that Brook was close to being sacked as white-ball captain following an investigation by the team’s management. The Yorkshire batsman was handed a £30,000 fine.
Now, a separate report from the outlet has claimed that following the defeat in Perth, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, and Brook were sitting at a riverside café before the former “put his hand in his pocket, and accidentally dislodged what eyewitnesses described as thousands of dollars in cash that flew into the air”.
The Telegraph reported that punters enjoying a coffee – including locals and cricket journalists – were left “scrambling” to return the cash to Carse as Crawley appeared “mortified” by the incident.
The choice of hotel in Perth has also been called into question, with the England squad staying at Crown Towers, which hosts a casino.
The Telegraph explained how “the players, often well-oiled, frequented the casino’s tables in full sight of England fans and other punters, some of whom were there because it was one of the only places in Perth open after hours and showed Premier League football”.
Despite the fallout from the Ashes, England, Brook, and McCullum will need to quickly dust themselves down ahead of the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which gets underway on January 22.
Three ODIs will be followed by three T20s before the T20 World Cup gets underway on February 7.
Luke Davies