Aussies snubbed England beer offer: Anderson
Photo: Getty
The Australian cricket team refused to have a beer with England after their first Ashes Test thrashing in Cardiff, Jimmy Anderson has revealed.
English captain Alistair Cook invited Michael Clarke and the Australians into the rooms for a post game beverage, but Clarke snubbed the offer.
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Mitchell Johnson gives Jimmy Anderson an intimate send off after dismissing him in the 2013 Ashes second Test. Photo: Getty
“That’s their (the Australians) prerogative,” Anderson said in The Telegraph. “After the New Zealand series, we had a beer after each game with them.”
“We found that was quite an enjoyable thing, just to chew the fat after a hard Test. It didn’t matter whether we won or lost.
“At Headingley (after England lost to finish the series at 1-1), we still went into their dressing room and had a beer with them.”It’s Cooky’s idea. He’s the captain, he went and asked them. We were all happy to do it. I don’t know why they (the Australians) didn’t come in.”
England and Australia shared a beer after each Test of the famous and best-ever regarded 2005 Ashes series.
However the then captain, Ricky Ponting, says the jovial and friendly atmosphere at the time contributed to his team’s loss.
Since then drinks have only been had at the end of the series, but given the success of the England and New Zealand pleasantries, Cook tried to implement the same custom with the Australians.
After a fiery 2013 series in Australia where the hosts won 5-0 and were accused of being too abrasive to their opponents, Anderson said it was nice to let England’s cricket do the talking in Cardiff.
“We weren’t fussed about trying to create any battles between us and their batsmen, any individual players or anything,” he said. “We were really focused on what we were going to do. And that’s what we did.
“When you bat like that and rack up runs, generally the opposition are quiet, no matter who you play against.
“With the ball, we tried to focus on displaying our skills, which we did. And, with the bat, we tried to keep them quiet in the field.”
Australia lost the first Test by 169 runs with more than a day of play to spare. The second Test begins at Lords on Thursday.