SYDNEY - Australia's Ryan Harris has discovered that winning the Ashes does not guarantee access to Perth's casino, with the bowler launching a foul-mouthed tweet after he was initially refused entry for being drunk. The team's celebrations after clinching the series against England on Tuesday, hosted by former great Shane Warne, stretched long into the night with Harris, in particular, letting off steam.
"A tip for all those heading to Perth! Avoid the crown or casino! Shithole, can't get in if you have had a drink #shitplace#dickheads," he tweeted, reportedly at 3:30 am. The tweet has since been removed but newspapers took a screenshot and it was widely reproduced on Wednesday. Strike bowler Harris, who has played a key role in the Ashes series, won widespread sympathy on social media.
"Poor old Ryan Harris. Apparently denied entry to the Crown in Perth for being too drunk last night. Australian Fun Police at their finest," said one tweet. Another said "Feel ya pain son." A sheepish Harris apologised on Wednesday. "Obviously I made a silly mistake this morning and I tweeted something I probably shouldn't have," he told reporters after arriving at his home base in Melbourne, adding that the bouncers on the door eventually let him in. "As I've heard many times before, don't tweet when you've had a drink."
In contrast to Harris, Michael Clarke had no trouble getting in, with the Australian skipper tweeting his thanks to Warne, who hosted a party for the team at the Perth nightspot. "Can't thank @warne888 enough for having us last night. The boys and their partners had a night we will remember forever," Clarke tweeted.
His wife Kyly added: "What a night of celebrations." All-rounder Shane Watson, who scored a century in the Perth Test, said he went to bed before the Harris incident. "Obviously things for a period of time might not have gone exactly right. But in the end we were just there to have a great time," he told reporters. "There was no intention other than making the most of winning the Ashes back. You do have to make the most of those good times because they're not always there. So it was extremely special last night."