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The ECB have refused to deny or confirm an allegation that they are investigating an assault by Jonny Bairstow on Cameron Bancroft.
Fox Sports News have alleged that Bairstow headbutted Bancroft while the England team were in Perth at the start of their Ashes tour.
The incident is alleged to have occurred in The Avenue bar in Perth almost a month ago after members of the England squad bumped into members of the Western Australia squad by chance. Bairstow is alleged to have made contact with the side of Bancroft’s head and later apologised. Bancroft was not a member of the Australia squad at the time.
There is no police involvement and no official reports were made.
Bairstow was one of those fined and warned about his future conduct by the ECB after accepting a charge of “unprofessional conduct” for his behaviour in Bristol the night that Ben Stokes was arrested for his part in a brawl.
Neither he now two other players fined – Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett, who is not in the Ashes party – were with Stokes at the time.
The new allegations came to light when Bairstow came out to bat in the second innings of the first Test at the Gabba. While no England player is welcomed to the crease with smiles, Bairstow received a particularly ferocious reception which led to questions being asked as to the motivation.
An England spokesperson refused to comment on the validity of the claims, but the ECB have been keenly aware that the behaviour of the squad would be under fierce scrutiny from the moment they set foot in Australia.
The allegation against Bairstow comes as Stokes is still under police investigation for his role in a brawl outside a nightspot in Bristol in September.
While England’s players decided not to impose an alcohol ban for the Ashes tour, they had agreed their behaviour off the field would be heavily scrutinised following the Stokes incident and decided they would not drink in the immediate lead-up to matches.
England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, explained at the time: “The players sat down and had a chat. They are the ones who have come up with this.
“There are no set curfews, they are just sensible rulings. To me, it’s what we should have been sticking to anyway as players or people around a professional set-up.
“Not drinking between matches is just sensible. We certainly don’t want to keep players in their rooms because it is a long tour. You have to get out and experience what the country you’re touring has to offer.
“It’s about picking the right time to have a couple of drinks, but knowing to stay away from it if you’re preparing for a match.”
If there is any truth in the allegations, the consequences could extend well beyond the Ashes tour. If a third England player (after Stokes and Alex Hales) is shown to have been involved in any sort of violent incident while in a social environment, it will raise questions about the culture and management of the England squads.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo