England Ashes stars blasted for breaking Australian laws as police respond - The Mirror

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England's cricket stars are under a vast amount of pressure in Australia ahead of the second Ashes Test this week, following a disastrous performance in Perth

Three England cricket stars have been slammed after they were pictured riding e-scooters in Brisbane without wearing the mandatory safety helmets.

Captain Ben Stokes, bowler Mark Wood and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith were spotted by local media riding public scooters without protective headwear.

Their conduct constituted a breach of Queensland's road laws regarding Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs), a category that includes e-scooters. The legislation states that all riders must strictly wear an approved helmet while operating the devices in public spaces.

Breaching the rules means that anyone involved could face an immediate financial penalty from local authorities. Failing to wear a helmet while riding a PMD in Queensland is a fine worth 166 Australian dollars, which equates to around £82 in Great British Pounds (GDP).

The trio were photographed in the build-up to the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, following an eight-wicket defeat in the first test in Perth last month.

Queensland Police Service (QPS) issued a statement confirming their commitment to enforcing rules around e-mobility devices. However, they also confirmed they would not take any action against Stokes, Wood and Smith.

However, Queensland Minister for Sport Tim Mander blasted the England stars as "very irresponsible". He did say the incident helped with a new road safety campaign though, adding: "Don't be silly like the Pommy cricketers, wear your helmet."

Teammate Ollie Pope, meanwhile, was asked about the incident and acknowledged the error. "Just put a helmet on next time, I guess," he said. "Rules are rules."

Pope went on to address the increased scrutiny on the England team and believes there must be "balance" on a long Ashes tour like this one. "I mean if they want to catch us doing that then then so be it but it is important to have balance on a long tour like this," he added.

"In the days after the Test you're very aware of (the attention). It was everywhere you went, when the guys were trying to unwind and for us as cricketers and as people I think it's important to try and be able to switch off and be yourself.

"Losing a game like we did, everyone's gutted, but locking your doors and not coming out of your room is the unhealthy thing to do, as we saw in Covid times.

"Whatever you're doing in your off time, whether it’s just taking your mind away from cricket for a day or two, I think that’s really important."

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