Sledged on the beach – England’s break in Noosa

England could not escape Australian sledging on their break from the Ashes series in the beach town of Noosa.

As the squad assembled on the beach on Wednesday morning, the players were approached by two local radio hosts – dressed in full whites – holding signs that read “For sale, moral victories” and “Bazballers anonymous, free counselling”.

Captain Ben Stokes was able to embrace the humour, posing for pictures.

Stokes’ reaction was in keeping with England’s relaxed approach to media attention on the tour.

The squad were made aware of their profile and the likely presence of cameras during their four-night stay on the Sunshine Coast.

Noosa is a small town, essentially with one street of bars, restaurants and shops. It is difficult for the England players to remain inconspicuous, and they have been happy to interact with locals and travelling supporters.

A number of players stand out in the crowd after collectively purchasing Akubra hats.

The squad arrived on Tuesday and will stay until Saturday, when they travel to Adelaide for the third Test.

They will train at the Adelaide Oval from Sunday, with three sessions planned before the Test begins on 17 December (23:30 GMT, 16 December).

On Wednesday all England players and staff gathered on the beach to play ‘pig’ – the football game they often play in the warm-up for training and matchdays. They then moved into the town centre for a fish-and-chip lunch.

The break is Noosa was planned before the Ashes series began and was arranged in conjunction with Cricket Australia.

One alternative to this trip would have been arriving in Adelaide well ahead of the third Test.

The three days of training before the third Test is in keeping with England’s usual preparation for a Test. The tourists had five days of training before the defeat in Brisbane, which McCullum said left them “overprepared”.

During the last Ashes in the UK in 2023, Australia’s players took a break in the middle of the series, with some travelling to various cities across Europe.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who spent his downtime in Edinburgh during the 2023 series, said it is “not new” for a team on tour to move away from cricket between Tests.

“It’s a pretty big series – there is a lot of time in between games,” he said. “For the Australian cricket team, we get to go home for a few days and be with the families.

“For touring parties, you’ve got to find time to fill in those little windows, and Noosa’s not too far from Brisbane.

“The Ashes is a very hotly contested contest and you don’t want to be thinking cricket every single day of the tour. If you do have a little break, it’s probably not a bad time to refresh the batteries.

“Our boys played a bit of golf. I’m probably watching Netflix or taking the fishing rod away if I can.

England’s off-field activities have been under constant scrutiny from the Australian press during the tour.

In Perth they were pictured on golf courses and at an aquarium, then in Brisbane they were front-page news for not wearing helmets when riding e-scooters.

Their training plans have also come under fire. They were criticised for playing only one warm-up match before the series – against England Lions – and again for not sending any of the players who played in the first Test to join the Lions in their game against a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.

Now, former England captain Nasser Hussain has said he “can’t understand” their schedule between the second and third Tests, while ex-coach David Lloyd said they should be having “naughty boy nets”.

But former batter Dawid Malan, who was part of England’s previous two Ashes tours, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Sometimes you can lose the fact these guys are human beings.

“Anyone who has a normal job is able to go to the pub on their day off. It’s the same with these guys.

“They need to get away from cricket and they have to have a break. They have to clear their minds.”

Malan pointed to England’s previous tour of Australia in 2021-22, when strict Covid protocols restricted their movements outside of playing and training.

“It’s all in moderation,” he said. “It might not be a good look to be sat on a beach or having beers on an off day, but they are human beings and they should be allowed to enjoy their off days.