The ECB has concluded its internal investigation into England's controversial Noosa trip, determining that players have no disciplinary case to answer following the break between the second and third Ashes Tests.
Allegations surfaced after England fell 3-0 behind in Adelaide that the four-day excursion had taken on a stag-do atmosphere, with some squad members reportedly spending their time drinking at the bar.
The inquiry uncovered nothing more serious than beer consumption, which aligned with the England hierarchy's belief that any genuinely problematic behaviour would have been flagged immediately rather than emerging only after the series was already lost.
No formal sanctions will be imposed on any players, reports the Daily Mail.
Managing director Rob Key, who was not present in Noosa, pledged before the Melbourne Test to examine the claims, stating: "If they're drinking lots and it's a stag-do, all that type of stuff, that's completely unacceptable."
Key subsequently interviewed additional security personnel who had been assigned to the pre-planned Queensland Sunshine Coast trip in case players ventured away from the group to other venues.
Those conversations revealed no such interventions were required, with one senior security official dismissing the stag-do characterisation as inaccurate.
The ECB has concluded its internal investigation into England's controversial Noosa trip, determining that players have no disciplinary case to answer following the break between the second and third Ashes Tests
|PA
The governing body has remained tight-lipped about its findings, concerned that another incident similar to the viral footage of opener Ben Duckett appearing intoxicated while speaking to a supporter might surface.
However, the ECB acknowledges that certain elements of the Ashes campaign have lacked sufficient discipline, even without formal player misconduct.
Sending the entire squad to a compact resort such as Noosa has been identified as a misstep, with hindsight suggesting players should have been encouraged to scatter during what extended to a nine-day interval between matches.
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Five things to know about the Ashes | PAConcern has also been expressed regarding public comments from coaching staff, including head coach Brendon McCullum's suggestion that England had "over-prepared" for the Gabba Test and assistant Marcus Trescothick's claim that the dressing room had not discussed aggressive shot selection following the Perth collapse.
Both McCullum and Key have subsequently conceded inadequate preparation for the series opener on Australia's bounciest surface.
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith has been excluded from the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup that follows, with selectors citing both workload management and an underwhelming twelve months in limited-overs cricket.
Jofra Archer, meanwhile, features in the provisional 15-man World Cup squad despite withdrawing from the Ashes after the Adelaide Test with a side strain.
England go into the fifth and final Ashes Test with some momentum following their victory over Australia last time out
| REUTERSJosh Tongue has also earned selection for the tournament, having yet to represent England in white-ball cricket but emerging as one of the standout performers during the Australian tour.
The fifth and final Test begins on Sunday in Sydney, where England will attempt to secure only their second away Ashes victory since 1986-87.