London Sun newspaper dishes out heavy sledge: ‘Silly Aussoles’ come up with ‘bonkers barefoot ritual’

We should have known better. The Australian cricket team’s new age approach — including shedding their shoes to soak up positive energy — was never ever going to escape the frenzied English tabloids.

An English tabloid has dug the boots in over Australia’s spiritual “earthing” exercise by branding the team ‘Silly Aussoles’ on the back page.

Coach Justin Langer instructed all players and staff to walk a lap of Edgbaston barefoot on Monday before sitting in a circle and sharing World Cup stories, which debutant Peter Handscomb said promoted the flow of “positive energy”.

Back page of The Sun paper

But The Sun newspaper labelled it a “bonkers barefoot ritual the batty Aussies believe will help KO England”.

The story was given a fake byline, “Graham Bunions” and claimed that “the toezos from Down Under have such an appalling record at Edgbaston that the semi-final will surely end in glorious DEFEET for them”.

But while Australia has not won an ODI at Edgbaston since 1993, when Mark Waugh scored the country’s only 50-over century at the Birmingham ground, England’s advantage will be softened in the semi-final.

Several thousand seats at the 24,500-capacity ground are set to be empty after wealthy Indian supporters snapped up tickets thinking their team would qualify for the second World Cup semi-final.

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EARTHING: AUSSIES MAKE BAREFOOT CUP INVESTMENT

The Australian squad walk barefoot on the Edgbaston turf. Picture: Cricket Australia

But Australia’s shock loss to South Africa saw it drop below India on the ladder and into Thursday night’s blockbuster against arch-rival England, which has not lost at Edgbaston in any format since 2014.

The ICC has texted and emailed fans asking those who can’t attend to place their tickets back on the official resale website, but it is understood several are so well off that they simply can’t be bothered.

The Aussies sit barefoot in a circle to spiritually connect with the Edgbaston turf. Picture: Sam Landsberger

Even the Barmy Army will predominantly be locked out of England’s first World Cup semi-final since 1992, with the usually boisterous Hollies Stand likely to be subdued compared to when the Ashes hit Birmingham on August 1.

No current Aussie has reached 80 runs at Edgbaston, which has been a happy hunting ground for England with five of its top six scoring blazing centuries on the batting paradise.

Langer downplayed the barefoot banter.

“What was it called? Earthing? I don’t know what you call it — we just took our shoes and socks off and walked a lap of the oval,” he said.

“It’s a nice thing to do, it’s a nice place to be. Haydos (Matthew Hayden) and I used to do it, just as a bit of a ritual before every Test match.

“You can walk on the best grounds in the world with your shoes off. So there’s nothing to it.

“We know we’re going to be up against it. England are a great team and we’ve got to be at our best, and the best way to be at your best is to be nice and relaxed.

“We could’ve done it with our shoes on and nobody would’ve said anything.”