ENGLAND’s Ashes squad are flying off for a vacation in one of Australia’s most picturesque towns, despite another shameful defeat in the second Test in Brisbane.
Steve Smith‘s soaring six sealed another emphatic eight-wicket victory for the Aussies at The Gabba, where England were the architects of their downfall after missing multiple catches.
Although they trail 2-0 in the series, Brendon McCullum’s men are set for some time off in the tourist hotspot of Noosa, on Queensland’s sunshine coast.
Noosa has some of the most gorgeous beaches in Australia and is littered with luxury resorts surrounded by a National Park and pristine golf courses.
McCullum drew the wrath of the Barmy Army by trying to justify the pre-planned holiday.
He said: “I actually felt like we over-prepared to be honest.
“I think sometimes when you’re in the heat of the battle, as we all know, sometimes the most important thing is to feel a bit fresh.”
England captain Ben Stokes also attempted to explain the situation, adding: “Look, we’ve been here for four weeks and it’s been pretty full on from on the field stuff, off the field stuff.
“As physical as this game is, a huge part of it is the mental side of it. I know that, I’ve experienced that.
“I know what the game can do to you when things aren’t quite feeling right or going well.
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“Trust me when I say it’s so important teams, when they do get an occasion or opportunity, to be able to go away as a team and just put the pressures of this aside for a couple of days.”
But the decision has come under scrutiny from cricket fans who watched the English side get battered in the first two Tests.
One wrote: “Enjoy Noosa while thousands of England fans have p***ed their hard earned money down the drain watching you p****s.”
Another commented: “Lots of excuses coming out of England. Over training … so they’re going to Noosa to relax and reset. Here comes 3-0.”
ABC cricket expert Bharat Sundaresan has come to Stokes and McCullum’s defence though.
“It’s not about optics or what happens in Noosa,” he said.
“The reason England are 0-2 down is because of they’ve looked out of their depth collectively to compete in Australia like so many touring teams before them. Bazball has little to do with it.”
