Boozy rabble shifts blowtorch to coach
ENGLAND’S band of problem drinkers is on the verge of the sack, but their selfish antics have also put coach Trevor Bayliss in the firing line.
Predecessor Andy Flower paid for England’s 5- 0 failure four years ago with his job and history suggests Bayliss will also be feeling the heat if he can’t prevent a humiliating whitewash.
Bayliss has been placed in an impossible situation by his players. Every time he turns around, someone in his squad seems to be punching, kicking, headbutting or pouring drinks on people.
The last two incidents involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett have been described as minor, but that’s only when compared with the police investigation into Ben Stokes and Alex Hales.
Senior England players are reportedly angry that the ECB has imposed a midnight curfew on them this tour, but how can you blame Bayliss for feeling he has to treat grown men like schoolchildren when every time he gives them an inch, they take an intoxicated mile. Bairstow’s headbutt came on night one of the tour.
Duckett’s pouring of an overpriced Perth pint over Jimmy Anderson’s head happened on the first night the curfew was lifted.
The fact that Duckett and about 10 Ashes players returned to the same bar where Bairstow ran into trouble a few weeks ago is truly astonishing.
Getting read the riot act clearly loses its impact when it’s being broadcast on repeat.
This, in a nutshell, is the problem for Bayliss.
It’s never been the style of the laconic boy from Penrith to deliver paint- peeling sprays. Instead, he prefers to be the guiding hand in the background. However, there were whispers in Adelaide that this may not be the right style for an England team dealing with a culture crisis.
The ECB indicated problem players may be axed from the squad that goes on to New Zealand in February. It would be a shame if Bayliss goes too.