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Alex Hartley, who played 42 internationals with England till 2019, feels its ‘totally unfair’ that her former teammates are refusing to speak to her because of her opinion.
Alex Hartley (PC: Instagram/alexhartley93)
England player-turned-broadcaster Alex Hartley has claimed she has been given a ‘cold shoulder’ by her former teammates, with Sophie Ecclestone even refusing to give her an interview, because she made a comment on their fitness.
England were knocked out in the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hartley had blamed it on the players’ fitness, saying most of the players were not as fit as their rivals, Australia, and were ‘letting the team down’ because of it.
Both Heather Knight and coach Jon Lewis had denied the opinion. Hartley, who played 42 internationals till 2019, revealed details of how the team is treating her after England’s 57-run loss in Monday’s first T20I in Sydney, which put Australia 8-0 up in the Women’s Ashes.
“Sophie Ecclestone refused to do a TV interview with me today,” Hartley said on the BBC Test Match Special 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.”
Hartley refused to retreat from her opinion, saying that it was ‘totally unfair’ that the relations have come to this stage when she was only doing her job.
“I’ve upset them, clearly. 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?”
The second T20I will be played on January 23.
