‘You’re playing the whole country’: England cricketers already exposed to Australia’s customary hostility

The Ashes have not even started yet, but England’s cricketers are already copping sledges from the hostile Australian cricket fanbase.

Queensland’s persistent weather has already proven a nuisance for the England cricket team, but the relentless rain may not be their most vexing aggravator ahead of the highly-anticipated Ashes series.

The squad’s first warm-up fixture in Brisbane was a washout, and the opening two days of their final practice match before the Gabba Test were also scrapped due to perpetual rain.

On past tours Down Under, England’s cricketers prepared for the sport’s marquee series with a whole month of fixtures against the Australian state sides and Australia A.

But due to hotel quarantine mandates and the recent T20 World Cup, the tourists have been forced to make do with a glorified centre wicket practice at Ian Healy Oval.

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England finally got some red-ball cricket under their belts on Thursday – all-rounder Ben Stokes claimed two wickets, while Zak Crawley batted commendably against England veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

But despite the frustrating limitations of La Nina, the customary Ashes hostility that England’s cricketers have come to expect over the years remains.

As recounted by cricket reporter Bharat Sundaresan, a couple of local spectators with beers in hand perched themselves near the England team bus after stumps at Ian Healy Oval on Thursday.

“No f***ing runs for you this tour mate,” they yelled at every member of the England camp, including assistant coach Paul Collingwood, who played his last Test match more than a decade ago.

He quipped back: “Well I certainly hope not.”

A couple of blokes sat near the England team bus, sipping beer & yelling, “no farkin runs for you this tour mate” at every member of the English camp getting into the bus, including at Paul Collingwood who goes, “well I certainly hope not”. Welcome to the #Ashes I guess

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) December 2, 2021

Joe Root bats during the England intra-squad Ashes Tour match at Ian Healy Oval. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

It’s become almost a tradition for Australian cricket fans to torment England’s players at every opportunity that presents itself. Whether on the street or at the fine leg boundary, the Poms can anticipate a tsunami of abuse from the locals.

England spinner Jack Leach, playing in his first Ashes tour, has already been warned about the Australian fanbase.

“I’ve heard the Aussie fans are really nice,” he told reporters on Wednesday, with tongue firmly in cheek.

A player who knows more about Australia’s uncivil hospitality is two-time Ashes winner Steve Harmison, infamous for opening the 2006/07 Ashes series with a wide ball that England captain Andrew Flintoff caught at second slip.

The Aussie spectators ensured that delivery plagued Harmison for the rest of his career.

“After bowling that first ball in Brisbane in 2006, there was a lot of comments coming my way at fine leg and third man for the next six weeks – and I got through it,” Harmison told news.com.au, speaking on behalf of IndiaBetting.co.in.

“In the Ashes, you do play Australia as a whole. You’re not just playing them eleven, you’re playing the whole country, because when you walked down the street, you got it. It was Ashes talk.

“Even to the point of getting off the plane, first and foremost – bang, there you go. When your bags are getting checked, things are getting searched, the baggage-handlers are telling us, ‘You’re going to get beat 5-0’.

“That is the beauty of Ashes cricket, and that’s what you have to put up with.”

11am, November 23, 2006: At this very moment, 15 years ago, Steve Harmison delivered the first ball of that summer's #Ashes to second slip pic.twitter.com/3I852beT9r

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 23, 2021

Steve Harmison had a forgettable tour of Australia in 2006/07. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

In fairness, England’s cricket fans aren’t exactly saints when the Aussies are in town. The taunts hurled at Steve Smith and David Warner during the 2019 Ashes following their return from the ball-tampering bans drew heavy criticism.

In September 2019, footage emerged on social media of a spectator calling Warner a “f***ing cheat” at Old Trafford — the opener’s response was a playful thumbs up and high-pitched yelp of approval.

Similarly, when the Barmy Army started chanting “he’s got sandpaper in his hands” at Edgbaston that year, Warner simply smiled and turned out his pockets, proving his innocence.

The crowd roared with delight, applauding the Aussie’s response. It was a glorious moment.

“Sometimes if you go back at them and have a little bit of a joke, you get a bit more respected for it,” Harmison explained. “It’s about being able to take them on the chin, have a laugh.

“In Adelaide, somebody shouted at me the only good thing about me was my missus. And I pointed to one of the rooms over the far side and said, ‘Well, she’s over there, you go and try and live with her’.

“In 2002, Nasser (Hussain) had an idea to go right up to Bay 13 and start doing some calf stretches, which wasn’t the best idea.

“Obviously in 2002, the world was a lot different. We had lost the Ashes by then, and somebody shouted out at Nasser that Saddam Hussain was more popular in England than what Nasser Hussain was.

“I must admit, there were a few English lads chuckling at Nasser’s expense.”

Fan: 'Warner you f***ing cheat!'

Warner: 😂 pic.twitter.com/w9tOwa4OH2

— FOXSportsAUS (@FOXSportsAUS) September 7, 2019

David Warner of Australia shows the crowd his empty pockets. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Times have changed, of course. The mental welfare of professional cricketers has taken precedence over their performance, whereas administrators from past generations would have laughed off any suggestion of emotional fatigue.

Even last week, the ruthless Barmy Army pleaded for its fanbase to respect Tim Paine’s mental wellbeing after the former Australian Test captain stepped away from cricket.

Last summer, the tiresome “banter vs abuse” debate resurfaced when Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj stopped play on day four of the SCG New Year’s Test to call attention to a group of spectators in the crowd.

The incident came after India had already lodged a complaint to the ICC about alleged racial abuse from the Sydney crowd.

Indian captain Virat Kohli called the situation “absolutely unacceptable”.

“Having gone through many incidents of really pathetic things said on the boundary lines, this is the absolute peak of rowdy behaviour,” he tweeted. “It’s sad to see this happen on the field.”

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin later claimed he had been subjected to abuse from Australian crowds for almost a decade.

“My first tour in 2011/12, I had no clue about what racial abuse is and how you can be made to feel small in front of so many people,” he told reporters at the time.

“People actually laugh at you when you get abused, and other people laugh along when these things are happening.

“It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age.”

Ravi Ashwin speaking tonight about abuse - including racial slurs - aimed at Indian players at the SCG.#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/89hGA8aoek

— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) January 10, 2021

Mohammed Siraj of India stops play to make a formal complaint about some spectators. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Sledging is an indispensable part of Test cricket – it’s embedded in Ashes culture – but hopefully the Australian public understands where to draw the line this summer.

“When guys get together at a cricket match, it’s a game of one-upmanship in the stands — who can come up with the most stinging one-liner? It’s boorish,” former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe told Fox Sports News earlier this year.

“Ninety-five per cent of sledging is unfunny. A huge percentage of it is personal abuse dressed up. Get over it.

“We are more mature than that. We are better than that, and we’ve got to start now.”

The first Ashes Test gets underway at the Gabba on Wednesday, with the first ball scheduled for 11am AEDT.