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Ashes 2021-22: England cricket assistant coach Graham Thorpe under pressure after hotel cigar incident

Staff ReportersThe West Australian
England batting coach Graham Thorpe, right, is under pressure to keep his job.
Camera IconEngland batting coach Graham Thorpe, right, is under pressure to keep his job. Credit: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The fall out from England’s disastrous 4-0 Ashes drubbing is set to claim its first victim, with assistant coach Graham Thorpe reportedly facing the axe after an incident with police following the Hobart Test.

Thorpe, who played 100 Tests for England between 1993 and 2002, is reportedly the reason police were called to the team hotel in Hobart because he was smoking a cigar inside during a drinking session that lasted until the early hours of the morning.

The England and Wales Cricket Board launched an investigation after a video showed captain Joe Root as well as veteran fast bowler James Anderson were told to go to bed by police officers after a complaint about “intoxicated people” was made.

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“Too loud,” a female officer said to the group.

“You have obviously been asked to pack up, so we’ve been asked to come. Time for bed. Thank you. They just want to pack up.”

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It is alleged Thorpe is the one taking the video, which included Australian stars Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey and Travis Head.

Code Sport’s Daniel Cherny is reporting that police were called after Thorpe was found to be smoking inside and refused to stop when he was asked to put it out by hotel staff.

The UK’s Daily Mail reported that Thorpe’s position “looks untenable”, with England apologising “for any inconvenience caused”.

“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,” a statement from the ECB said.

“The hotel management received a noise complaint by a hotel guest, and as 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.”

It comes as the UK media reports there was fat shaming and a drinking culture within the English camp during the tour of Australia.

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