CRICKET: Australia's Head hopes Ashes rivals meet for post-series drinks

MELBOURNE – Opening batsman Travis Head hopes Australia and England will share a drink after the Ashes concludes in Sydney, reviving a tradition that was missed following the 2023 series.

Players and staff from both teams usually meet for drinks at the end of an Ashes series, but extended farewells for several England players and staff prevented it at The Oval after the fifth Test in 2023.

Head said he looked forward to post-series drinks at the Sydney Cricket Ground, noting that both teams had played the game "in the right way."

"There's definitely mutual respect," he told The Australian newspaper on Wednesday. "I get along with a couple of them really well. There are some really good relationships with both teams. I'm looking forward to having a beer with Ducky (Ben Duckett). So, yeah, it’d be a nice moment. It's obviously nice going there knowing that we've won the series."

Australia leads the five-Test series 3-1, having retained the urn with a victory in the third Test in Adelaide.

Relations between the teams had soured during the 2023 series after a "spirit of cricket" controversy, when Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw down the stumps during a run-out of Jonny Bairstow. Australian players were also abused by England fans in the Long Room at Lord’s. England head coach Brendon McCullum initially told the BBC he could not imagine his team meeting the Australians for beers any time soon.

McCullum later revised his statement after England won the final Test at The Oval by 49 runs to draw the series 2-2, saying the teams would meet for a beer. However, the gathering never took place, prompting some criticism in the Australian media.

England captain Ben Stokes denied any intentional snubbing of the Australians in a social media post, explaining that his team’s post-series wrap-up at The Oval had taken longer than expected due to farewells for players and staff.

The fifth Test is scheduled to start in Sydney on January 4.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters