Alex Carey Defends England's Beach Retreat To Noosa Despite Consecutive Losses To Australia In The Ashes

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey has defended England's mid-series break to the coastal town of Noosa and said that it is not a bad time to refresh themselves by taking a brief break from action.

The remark comes after the Steve Smith-led Australia obliterated the England cricket team in the first two Ashes tests. England was humiliated in the Perth Test and the day-night Test in Brisbane, prompting a social media storm over the visiting side's preparedness.

Alex Carey Comes Out In Defence For England's Mid-Series Retreat

Following the Gabba Test in Brisbane, England set off for Noosa for a mid-series break, attracting criticism from the fans and pundits. They didn't participate in the day-night practice match against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, adding to the outrage.

But Alex Carey has come out in defence of the team's planned mid-series break. He said that the Ashes is an intense series, and it's not wrong to recharge the batteries.

Carey further added that the Australian players get to be with their families at home, and the touring parties also need some time to relax whenever the window allows.

“The Ashes is very hotly contested, you don’t want to be thinking of cricket every single day of the tour. If you do have a little break, it’s probably not a bad time to refresh the batteries.

“It’s a pretty big series with lots of time between games. The Australia cricket team gets to go home for a few days and be with the families, so touring parties have got to find time to fill in those little windows,” Alex Carey said, as quoted by News Shopper.

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ENG To Begin Training After Noosa Retreat, Cummins Returns To AUS Squad 

Following their Noosa retreat, the Ben Stokes-led England are expected to arrive in Adelaide, South Australia, and undergo three days of training in the nets. Whether they manage to turn things around is yet to be seen.

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Speaking of Australia, their bowling unit will be reinforced with the return of regular Test skipper Pat Cummins. He had missed out on the past two Test matches due to a lumbar stress fracture, but now looks ready for action.

The third Ashes Test match will take place from December 17-21 at the Adelaide Oval.