Ben Stokes hits back at Australia drinks snub claim | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes has refuted claims that his team snubbed Australia after reports surfaced suggesting they declined to have post-series drinks with their Ashes rivals.

Following their thrilling 49-run victory over Australia in the fifth Test at The Oval on Monday, Stokes’s side displayed remarkable sportsmanship, having come from 2-0 down to draw the series 2-2. Traditionally, it is customary for the teams to gather in the dressing rooms to socialise at the end of a Test campaign.
But reports in the Australian media suggested the tourists were left disappointed as they waited to be invited into the England dressing room before departing around an hour later.

England Test coach Brendon McCullum had already cast doubt on the socialising when he said “I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer with them any time soon” following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping by Australia’s Alex Carey in the second Test at Lord’s.

England’s alleged snub was branded “pretty pathetic” by an unnamed source in a Fox Sports Australia report.
But England claimed their post-series wrap-up went longer than usual due to an extended presentation session that marked the retirements of Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali.
And Stokes took to social media in the middle of the night to make it clear there was no snub intended because England players eventually met up with their Australian counterparts at a nightclub.

Responding to journalist Bharat Sundaresan, who had been reporting on the missed drinks, Stokes tweeted: “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.”
(With AFP Inputs)