KEY POINTS
- Three England cricketers risk police action for riding e-scooters without helmets.
- The players were in Brisbane following a heavy defeat in the Ashes opener.
- The trio breached Queensland’s legal requirement to wear helmets while using e-scooters.
BRISBANE, Australia: Three England cricketers, including Test captain Ben Stokes, are at risk of police action after being caught riding e-scooters without helmets in Brisbane, Australia.
The England team arrived in the city on Wednesday, following a crushing eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the opening Ashes Test in Perth, which ended in just under two days.
With a long gap before the second Test, scheduled for December 4, the players took to the streets to explore the city and pass the time.
Captain Stokes, pacer Mark Wood, and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith were photographed riding e-scooters through Brisbane’s streets.
However, they failed to meet Queensland’s legal requirement of wearing helmets while riding the scooters. Notably, Smith’s scooter even had a helmet attached, but he was not wearing it.
In the pictures, Wood was seen wearing heavy protective strapping on his left knee, suffering from discomfort after bowling just 11 overs in the series opener. Wood has since been ruled out of the second Test as a precautionary measure.
Under Queensland’s Road Rules, Section 256A(1), riding an e-scooter without a helmet can result in a fine of up to A$166 (approximately 96 GBP).
This incident isn’t the first time England players have attracted the attention of Australian authorities for breaking the law.
In the 2010-11 Ashes tour, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen was fined A$239 for speeding on the outskirts of Melbourne after their historic victory over the Australian team.
Additionally, in 2017, former cricketer and commentator Jonathan Agnew was fined for jaywalking in Adelaide.
Agnew took to social media to express his displeasure, posting, “Booked for walking across a deserted street at 0045. Adelaide! I used to love you! How sad.” He added that the officers were “rude and offensive.”
While this latest misstep may cause some tension, it remains to be seen if police will take further action against Stokes, Wood, and Smith.
