Speaking from behind the camera, Thorpe, is heard to say, “this is for the lawyers.” He also goes on to name every player present.
Telegraph Sport understands that a noise complaint, as the group played music from the balcony on the fourth floor of the building, was made to the team hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hobart, where both sides were staying for the fifth Test. It was reported that complaints had also centred on Thorpe deciding to smoke a cigar inside the building, which is illegal in Tasmania.
The players and management had stayed at the ground in Hobart until 2.30am because the fifth Test ended late and they had media duties to perform as well as sort out kit bags. They started drinking in the dressing room and while some went to bed when they returned to the hotel, others went to the Australia team room, which had a balcony, and carried on.
English cricket authorities are understood to be more angered by the fact the incident was filmed and then somehow entered the public domain, rather than the fact that players were drinking. No Covid regulations are believed to have been breached.
Thorpe and other coaches were already under pressure after the team’s performance in the Ashes and this has only exacerbated fears of a drinking culture – first revealed by Telegraph Sport on Monday – within a squad that was one wicket away from a whitewash and had been bowled out in just 38.5 overs only hours before.
“During the early hours of Monday morning, members of the England and Australia men’s teams shared a drink in the team areas of the hotel in Hobart,” the ECB said in a statement.
“The hotel management received a noise complaint by a hotel guest, and is commonplace in Australia, the local police attended the scene. When asked to leave by hotel management and the Tasmanian police, the players and management in question left and returned to their respective hotel rooms.”
“The England party have apologised for any inconvenience caused. The ECB will investigate further. Until such times, we will make no further comment.”
