Try GOLD - Free
England will investigate reports of Ashes drinking
The Island
|December 24, 2025
England will investigate reports of players drinking excessively during a break from the Ashes series in the beach town of Noosa.
-
The England squad spent four nights on the Queensland coast between the second and third Tests.
Several outlets, including the BBC, reported that some players were drinking for a significant portion of their time in Noosa, as well as on two previous days in Brisbane, the venue for the second Test.
Although they returned an improved performance in the third Test in Adelaide, England were beaten to ensure they cannot win back the Ashes from Australia.
The home side have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in only 11 days of cricket.
England director of cricket Rob Key told BBC Sport: "Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it's a stag do and stuff like that.
"Stories of players drinking six days solid - that's unacceptable. We'll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on."
The break in Noosa was arranged in advance of the Ashes tour and went ahead despite England falling 2-0 behind after two Tests.
This story is from the December 24, 2025 edition of The Island.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Island
The Island
Uber Eats 2025 Cravings Report: Sri Lankans crave spice, then reach for chocolate
We dug into what Sri Lankans ordered on Uber Eats in 2025, and one thing stood out immediately - rice didn’t just show up, it dominated.
2 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Thomians post 292 runs
Under 19 Cricket
2 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Opposition Leader asserts that Speaker's ruling amounts to violation of Constitution and sovereignty of the people
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that a decision and statement made by the Speaker amounted to a violation of the Constitution and the sovereignty of the people.
1 min
January 10, 2026
The Island
PM assures Parliament no web links in modules prepared for second and third school terms under proposed reforms
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament yesterday (09) that the Academic Advisory Board of the National Institute of Education (NIE) has decided that no web links will be included in modules prepared for the second and third school terms under the government's education reform programme.
1 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Speaker bars Parliamentary probe into Judicial Service Commission
Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday (09) delivered a ruling under Standing Order 27(3), declaring out of order a motion submitted by 31 Members of Parliament to appoint a Select Committee to examine the powers of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
14 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Sri Lanka's 2026 economic growth predicted to be around 4-5 percent
Sri Lanka's economic growth for 2026 will be around 4-5 percent, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said.
1 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Bourse radiates optimism as UK grants tariff-free concession to local apparel exports
CSE activities were extremely bullish yesterday mainly due to the UK government's announcement on tariff free access for local apparel sector exports into the UK coupled with Central Bank Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe’s positive outlook on the economy this year.
1 mins
January 10, 2026
The Island
Life sentence for heroin trafficking
The Colombo High Court on Thursday sentenced a man, convicted of possessing and trafficking heroin, to life imprisonment.
1 min
January 10, 2026
The Island
Devananda granted bail
Former Minister Douglas Devananda, who was arrested and remanded in connection with a firearms-related investigation, was granted bail by the Gampaha Magistrate's Court yesterday.
1 min
January 10, 2026
The Island
Johnston, two of his sons and two others remanded till 23 Jan. over alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle
Former Minister Johnston Fernando, his two sons, and two others, were further remanded, until 23 January, by the Wattala Magistrate's Court, in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando's tenure.
1 min
January 10, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
