Former England cricketer and left-arm spinner Alex Hartley has said that she had pretty few tough days and has been ‘hit pretty hard’ by some of her former England teammates during the Women’s Ashes after Alex questioned their fitness levels.
The 31-year-old said some England players were "letting the team down when it comes to fitness" last autumn following their early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Alex, who played 26 ODIs and four T20Is for England, is working as an expert for radio and TV networks in Australia and revealed she was refused an interview by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone during the first T20I which England lost.
"It's been a pretty tough few days for me," Hartley told TNT Sports. "I wasn't expecting it to be in the newspapers and all over the UK press so it has actually hit me, personally, pretty hard."
"Ultimately, I was frustrated and upset with the events that unfolded before that first T20."
Team has lot of love for Alex: Amy Jones
England wicketkeeper Amy Jones said she "doesn't think it is the case" that Hartley has been shunned and that the team have a "lot of love" for the former spinner.
Former England women’s batter Ebony Rainford-Brent said the incident around Alex showed the difficulty cricketers face when they move into life as a commentator while backing the spinner to do her job well as a broadcaster in Australia.
"I know about moving out of the dressing room, I moved into commentary two weeks later and you don't want to be rubbishing your mates because you're then going to call them for a prosecco and they don't want it. What I like about Hartley is that she is saying the truth, that she feels the players haven't been fit and she's put it out there."
"She is doing what she should be doing as a broadcaster. From Ecclestone's perspective, I'm disappointed she didn't follow through with the interview because as a player, there are jobs on the field and jobs off the field,” she said.
“Women's sport is now in the public eye, my taxi driver today said he had never watched cricket but he knew about this story. Women's sport is on the rise and we've all got to adapt quicker."
(With inputs from agencies)