Brendon McCullum defends England stars’ drinking culture after Ashes humiliation

Brendon McCullum has responded to claims of an ‘alcohol fueled’ Ashes tour which resulted in Englandhumiliation 4-1 in Australia. He defended England’s players, saying the real picture is very different from what has been painted recently.

England lost the Ashes to Australia by a humiliating 4-1 margin as the Australians continued their dominance in this massive rivalry. However, what humiliated England was not the defeat but the fact that the matches seemed very one-sided before Australia finally won them with some performance.

Furthermore, when England lost seriesone of the main reasons given for the defeat was the lack of discipline within the English camp. Throughout their Australian tour, Brendon McCullum’s strategies remained under scrutiny, as at times England were seen skipping practice matches, while then partying and vacationing after repetitive defeats.

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“Half our guys don’t drink, to be honest” – Brendon McCullum

Both England and the ECB were mocked after their defeat in Adelaide, which dashed England’s hopes of a fightback, as they lost the series with their third consecutive defeat at the Adelaide Oval. However, the England players took a holiday in Noosa during the period between the second Test at the Gabba and the third Test in Adelaide.

During the break, England players were spotted drinking together, while Ben Duckett was filmed drunk alongside Jacob Bethell, who was seen dancing with an unknown woman. Brendon McCullum denied the allegations of impropriety, although he acknowledged the team was on vacation.

“Half of our guys don’t drink alcohol, to be honest. They have a few beers every now and then. I think people do that in most walks of life,” McCullum was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Brendon McCullum declares Noosa break ‘pretty important’

According to dynamic coach McCullum, the team’s culture should not be under scrutiny as the mid-series break in Noosa was long planned and was deemed absolutely necessary for England’s players.

McCullum had also claimed that England lost the pink-ball Test at the Gabba due to over-preparation and therefore were not fresh enough to outperform the Australians.

He further asserted that cricket is a very demanding sport in the region and with the number of fans flocking in with high hopes, players are often under immense pressure; therefore, these output refreshes are important. But he didn’t believe that a player does things excessively.

“These guys are young men playing a high-pressure sport. We have an opportunity to guide them and encourage them as they become grown men who deal with high pressure,” he said.

‘Maybe there’s someone better’, Brendon McCullum denies compromise

With several speculations surrounding Brendon McCullum’s removal from the England head coach job and questions swirling around the end of the Bazball era, McCullum made his stance clear through a statement: “Maybe there is someone better” for the job if he is not allowed to implement his own plans.

He has made it clear that he is ready to continue as England head coach and is open to changes, but the changes should be in line with his own strategies. In short, McCullum made it clear that he would not implement anyone else’s plans.

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