The Australian media have been merciless in attacking the England players for opting for a vacation in the middle of a series where they have been outplayed by the Steve Smith-led side in every department. They lost both Tests by eight wickets: the opener in Perth ended inside two days, while the second match at the Gabba dragged into the final session on Day 4.

Hoping to recharge with some time away from cricket, the England players still couldn’t escape the sledging. Two Australian broadcasters from Queensland radio station 92.7 Mix FM interrupted their gathering on Noosa Main Beach. Dressed in full whites, they held posters that read: ‘For sale, moral victories’ and ‘Bazballers anonymous free counselling’ as they posed for a picture with Ben Stokes, which was later shared on Instagram.

Stokes, however, took the cheeky trolling in good humour, laughing at the two broadcasters and even stopping for a brief chat.

Earlier that morning, the two presenters — Archei Arenson and Henry Bretz — had been spotted searching for the England team around Queensland, hilariously offering Stokes and his men help to bounce back in the series after the twin defeats.

“We simply want to help with these signs,” they were heard saying in the Instagram video as they wandered around the tourist area. “Hopefully, we’ll track them down and give them a much-needed hand in this Ashes series.”

They were even seen asking the public about the whereabouts of the England squad. “We’re looking for some guys who can’t win at cricket.”

When they finally spotted Stokes, they shouted and called him over for a chat, saying, “We want to help!”

“We were at Headingley, it was the best day of my life,” one of the presenters said to Stokes.

“I think we have just won England the Ashes,” the other joked as they walked away.

Earlier, former England captain Nasser Hussain lashed out at the Bazballers for their mid-series trip. “I can’t understand England’s schedule for the week ahead,” he wrote in his Athletic column. However, the decision was defended by Australia cricketer Alex Carey, who scored 63 and took seven catches in the team’s eight-wicket win at the Gabba.

“I think it’d be a nice holiday,” Carey said at a Woolworths Cricket Blast event in Adelaide. “It’s a pretty big series, with lots of time between games. For the Australian cricket team, we get to go home for a few days and be with families, so touring parties have got to find time to fill in those little windows.”