Chris Woakes Criticizes ECB for 'Bottling' Post-World Cup Celebrations
Former England all-rounder expresses disappointment over the lack of an open-top bus parade and a strict curfew following the 2019 World Cup victory.
Chris Woakes has voiced strong criticism of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), accusing them of failing to capitalize on the historic 2019 Cricket World Cup victory by not organizing an open-top bus parade. In an extract from his autobiography, Woakes lamented the perceived lack of a celebration fitting the significance of England's first men's 50-over World Cup title.
He drew a parallel to the celebrations following the iconic 2005 Ashes triumph, which included a parade through London, and questioned why the 2019 win did not warrant a similar public acknowledgment. Woakes highlighted the immense public interest in the 2019 final, which saw a record 15 million viewers tune in, with coverage shared by Sky and Channel 4. He praised Sky for their decision to share the broadcast, recognizing the benefit to the sport, and questioned the ECB's decision not to pursue a public parade.
"Football clubs get the open-top bus out for League Cup wins and supporters line the streets to see their heroes," Woakes wrote. "We could have done the same, reaching out to thousands more people than we did. It still makes my blood boil to this day."
The former all-rounder also recounted the disappointment surrounding the post-match celebrations, which were curtailed by a strict midnight curfew. According to Woakes, Ashley Giles, then the director of cricket, prevented the team from extending their celebrations into central London. Woakes suggested that the ECB was overly cautious and concerned about potential negative outcomes, which led to the decision.
"Some of the lads properly kicked off here, not least since Gilo himself had been part of the 2005 celebrations that had become folklore," Woakes stated. "So, we settled in back at the hotel bar feeling a bit aggrieved; forced to settle for the same surroundings as the night before when a fresh location was the order of the day."
Woakes, who was also part of England's 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad, argued that the team should have been allowed to fully embrace and celebrate their monumental achievement. "We had won a World Cup, for heaven's sake – if you can't milk it then, when can you?" he questioned.