The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is investigating a video circulating on social media, in which England batsman Ben Duckett is seen in an allegedly intoxicated state, unable to find his way back to the team hotel in Noosa, Australia. The incident reportedly occurred during the short break between the second and third Ashes Tests.
England cricket board has started to collect proves
The video surfaced on December 23rd, the same day that England men’s team managing director Rob Key confirmed the investigation into the Noosa trip. This break was announced after the eight-wicket loss in the Brisbane Test.ECB clarified that the four days spent in Noosa were not a holiday. The trip was planned a year earlier by head coach Brendon McCullum, with the aim of refreshing the players mentally. No training sessions were held during this period, and the players were given time to rest.
Although England produced their best performance of the tour in the Adelaide Test, they lost by 82 runs, and Australia took an unassailable lead in the five-match Ashes series and won the trophy after just 11 days of play.Before the fourth Test in Melbourne, Rob Key said that the ECB would look into the matter, but according to information received so far, the players were behaving well.
Official statement
The official ECB statement said, “We are aware of the content on social media. We have clear standards and procedures regarding player behavior. The facts are currently being verified.” Ben Duckett’s performance in the Ashes has also been disappointing. He has scored only 97 runs so far and his average is 16.16, which is the lowest among England’s specialist batsmen. His highest score has been 29 runs.
This isn’t the first time Duckett has been embroiled in controversy. During the 2017-18 Ashes tour, when he was part of the England Lions squad, he was fined and sent home by the ECB after allegedly pouring a drink on James Anderson at a bar in Perth.