Alex Hartley has expressed that she is in shock for getting the “cold shoulder” by former England teammates, especially after the refusal of Sophie Ecclestone to participate in a TV interview with her.
Hartley believes this reaction originates from her comments regarding the team’s fitness following their T20 World Cup exit in October. Alex Hartley is the former England’s World Cup winning spinner.
Hartley, after retiring from cricket, started her new career as a broadcaster and pundit. She talked about the team’s performance saying that few players were “letting the team down” because of their low fitness levels after their shock defeat to West Indies in Dubai.
On Monday the first T20I match was played between England and Australia in the Ashes in Sydney, which resulted in defeat of England team by 57-runs, which made Australia at 8-0 in Ashes, ensuring that they will win the Trophy, Hartley said she had been prohibited.
“Sophie Ecclestone refused to do a TV interview with me today,” she told the BBC’s TMS podcast. “I’ve been hung out to dry by the England team: none of them will talk to me on the boundary edge.”
“The reason I said that they were not as fit as Australia is because I want them to compete with Australia, I want them to be better than Australia, and I want them to win Ashes and World Cups. I’m giving my opinion, and I’ve been given the cold shoulder from the England team ever since.”
“Not all of them have given me the cold shoulder. I don’t want to say that they’ve all been the same, because they haven’t. Some of the players have been absolutely outstanding: I’ve spoken to them in the street, at the ground, wherever. But a few individuals – coaches, players – they literally haven’t looked at me.”
England’s fielding level remained an important concern during the whole Ashes.
Beth Mooney’s catch was dropped at the start of her innings, which as a result led her to a match-winning performance of 75 runs in Sydney on Monday, while a bundle of repeated mistakes collectively resulted in England’s loss of three ODI matches when the tournament started. Hartley expressed that England Team had a tough time while matching the “athleticism” of Australia throughout the series.
“I’ve upset them, clearly,” she said.
“Jon Lewis has come out and said there isn’t a problem with fitness in his squad, there isn’t a problem with fitness in the England environment. They obviously think I’m completely wrong in my opinion – which is fine, absolutely fine. I’m entitled to my opinions, and they’re entitled to theirs.”
“It’s my job to say if I see something that needs to be better, and I did, but the way that I’ve been treated since I think is totally unfair. But they will say that my comments were unfair, so if that’s the way our relationship is going to be moving forwards, then so be it… If fitness isn’t a problem, then it’s athleticism from a few, isn’t it?”
