‘Time for bed’: Police called to move on partying Australian and England cricketers

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‘Time for bed’: Police called to move on partying Australian and England cricketers

By Tom Decent
Updated

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is investigating how footage of “intoxicated” Australian and England cricketers being asked by police to go to bed at 6am on Monday morning came into the public domain following the final day of the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart.

Mobile phone footage, obtained by the Herald and The Age, shows four police officers arrive to speak to Australian players Nathan Lyon, Travis Head and Alex Carey, as well as England captain Joe Root and pace bowler Jimmy Anderson after receiving a noise complaint.

English media are reporting the voice behind the camera is 52-year-old England batting coach Graham Thorpe, the former Test batter.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that Thorpe could also face the sack after he was found responsible for the footage, which ended up being shared widely.

Cricket Australia declined to comment.

“Too loud,” a female officer is heard saying to the group. “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.”

Australia and England both stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hobart, and a number of hotel staff are also seen in the video. Beer bottles and a Red Bull can are on the table.

The Australian and England players, unwinding after a long series, left the outdoor area straight away when asked by police.

Nathan Lyon and James Anderson head off to bed.

Nathan Lyon and James Anderson head off to bed.

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“No worries,” says Lyon in the video.

In a statement received by the Herald and The Age, Tasmania Police said officers were called after a complaint regarding “intoxicated” individuals.

“Tasmania Police attended the Crowne Plaza Hobart on Monday morning after reports were made of intoxicated people in a function area,” the statement read. “The guests were spoken to by police, just after 6:00am, and left the area when asked.

“No further action will be taken by police.”

Crowne Plaza Hobart general manager Linda Collis said a noise complaint had been made from outside the hotel regarding the drinking session on the hotel’s fourth floor. She stressed that Lyon, Carey and Head, as well as others in the footage, had not done anything wrong and weren’t ordered to leave by her staff, despite police saying they had already been asked to move on.

“To the best of my knowledge there was some noise complaints from outside,” Ms Collins told the Herald and The Age.

“We’re in the middle of the city and there is noise and other things. We get all sorts of random things and police will turn up. There was nothing untoward. No one was removed from the hotel. It’s not uncommon to get people complaining about noise.”

Asked why hotel staff were present, Ms Collins said: “I think they were actually just trying to get ready for breakfast the next day. That’s all it was. Everything has been pretty smooth sailing, and we were happy for Hobart to have the cricket down here and have the teams down here.”

Playersclearly had hoped to stick around for a few more drinks after a Test in which Australia defeated England by 146 runs to wrap up a 4-0 series win.

A spokesperson for the ECB said it was investigating and sources familiar with the situation said the focus will be on how the footage came to be in the public domain.

“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,” read the statement.

“The hotel management received a noise complaint by a hotel guest, and as 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.”

The teams had finished playing in the fifth Ashes Test at Blundstone Arena late on Sunday evening, given it was a day-night Test match. Both teams were still tied up with formalities until close to midnight at the ground.

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The Australian team continued celebrations on Monday by drinking at a Hobart pub and singing songs with the Barmy Army, according to social media posts.

Players will break off on Tuesday and head back to their respective states.

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