Australian opening batsman Travis Head has expressed a strong desire to see the cherished tradition of sharing a post-series drink between the Ashes rivals restored. This practice was notably absent after the fiercely contested 2023 series in England, where tensions reached a boiling point.
The Stumping That Strained Relations
The core of the discord traces back to a pivotal moment during the second Test of the 2023 Ashes at Lord's. Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey executed a controversial stumping of England's Jonny Bairstow. The incident occurred when Bairstow, after ducking a delivery from Cameron Green, casually walked out of his crease, believing the ball was dead. Carey's swift underarm throw led to Bairstow's dismissal, sparking a massive debate on the 'spirit of cricket' and igniting hostility between the teams.
The fallout was severe. Relations deteriorated further when Australian players were subjected to verbal abuse by sections of the Lord's Long Room crowd. England's head coach, Brendon McCullum, stated at the time that he could not foresee a scenario where the teams would share a drink. Although England won the final Test at The Oval to level the series 2-2, and McCullum later said they would meet, the promised drinks session never materialised, leading to criticism in the Australian media.
Head Calls for Camaraderie in Sydney
With Australia already retaining the Ashes urn after securing an unassailable 3-1 lead in the current five-Test series, Head is looking forward to a more cordial conclusion. The fifth and final Test begins at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 4.
In comments published by The Australian newspaper, Head emphasised the mutual respect between the sides. "There’s definitely mutual respect," he said. "I get along with a couple of them really well. There’s some really good relationships with both teams. I’m looking forward to having a beer with Ducky (Ben Duckett). So, yeah, it’d be a nice moment. It’s obviously nice going there knowing that we’ve won the series."
Moving Past the Controversy
Head believes both teams have played the game fairly in the current series and feels the time is right to rekindle the tradition. England captain Ben Stokes had previously clarified that his team did not intentionally snub Australia after the 2023 Oval Test. He explained that post-series farewells with players and staff ran longer than expected.
The hope now rests on the Sydney Test providing a fitting backdrop not just for competitive cricket, but for the restoration of off-field camaraderie that has long been a hallmark of the Ashes rivalry, despite its intense on-field battles.
