Australia opener Travis Head has expressed hope that England and Australia will revive their long-standing tradition of sharing a drink at the end of the ongoing Ashes, a ritual that was strained during the fractious 2023 contest in England.
Australia currently lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the urn, sealing their fifth consecutive Ashes triumph. Head said he would welcome the chance for players from both sides to come together once the series concludes.
Relations between the teams deteriorated sharply during the second Test of the 2023 Ashes after Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow when the England batter stepped out of his crease while ducking a delivery from Cameron Green. The incident sparked ugly scenes at Lord’s, where Australian players were verbally abused by MCC members in the Long Room.
In the immediate aftermath, England head coach Brendon McCullum suggested that, given what had transpired, it was difficult to see how the customary end-of-series drink could take place.
“There’s definitely mutual respect. I get along with a couple of them really well. There’s 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,” Head was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper on Wednesday.
McCullum had later indicated that the teams would eventually meet after England won the final Test of the 2023 series, which ended in a 2-2 draw. However, the delay drew criticism from sections of the Australian media, who suggested England had deliberately avoided the traditional gathering.
England captain Ben Stokes had rejected those claims, explaining that post-series commitments at The Oval overran due to farewell events for players and staff.
In contrast, the ongoing 2025 Ashes in Australia has been played in a notably calmer and more amicable atmosphere. Any controversies have largely revolved around issues affecting both sides, such as disputed snicko readings and the MCG surface for the fourth Test, which resulted in the second two-day Test of the series.
The more measured tone has also coincided with England’s struggles on the field. After being outplayed in the first three Tests and slipping to a 3-0 deficit, they once again surrendered the Ashes, extending their drought to five consecutive series.
England’s ultra-aggressive approach under Stokes and McCullum has come under heavy scrutiny after backfiring for much of the series, despite their consolation win at the MCG, which ended a 15-year wait for a Test victory in Australia.