The England and Wales Cricket Board says it is “establishing the facts” after a video posted on social media showed a drunk Ben Duckett slurring his speech.
A video posted to X shows Duckett talking to a group of people asking if they know how to get home. At this stage, it is not clear when the video was shot or by whom.
In response, an ECB spokesperson told Sky Sports News: “We are aware of the content circulating on social media.
“We have high expectations for the conduct of our players, accept that they are often under intense levels of scrutiny and that we have established processes to follow when conduct falls short of expectations, and we support players who require assistance.
“As we review the facts, we will not be commenting further at this stage.”
The incident comes after England managing director Rob Key pledged to investigate the team’s drinking habits after reports the team’s beach break at Mid Ashes resembled a “stag do”.
Social media video shows Ben Duckett drinking alcohol in Australia, but ECB confirms when video was taken
England’s disappointing performance in Australia, which saw them lose each of their first three Tests to vacate the urn after just 11 days on the ground, has left the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket with many tough questions to answer.
And one of the most pressing issues is that of alcohol consumption.
The team visited the idyllic resort town of Noosa between the second and third Tests. This is part of a long-term plan for an itinerary designed to help players relax on long, intense journeys.
Many television crews, photographers and reporters followed them to the shore, and some coverage focused on the time some people spent in bars.
England’s managing director Mr Key, who was not part of the group in Noosa, insisted he had no problem with the break but would not be happy if there was evidence of overeating.
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England national team managing director Rob Key has backed Brendon McCullum, saying he is the best person to continue leading England despite their heavy defeat to Australia.
“If there’s something like that where people are saying our players went out and drank to excess, of course we’re going to look into that,” he said.
“You wouldn’t expect an international cricket team to consume excessive amounts of alcohol at any stage, so it would be a mistake not to look into what happened there. From what I’ve heard so far, they were actually quite well-behaved. Very well-behaved.”
He added: “There are plenty of ways to know exactly what happened, and what I’ve heard so far is that they sat down, had lunch, ate dinner, didn’t stay out until late, all of which involved drinking strange drinks. I don’t care about that.”
“If we go beyond that, that’s a problem as far as I’m concerned.
“If a trip to Noosa is about throwing away your phone, dropping your gear, going to the beach, things like that, then I have no problem with it. If it goes into a place where they’re drinking heavily and it’s a stag thing, all that stuff is completely unacceptable.”
“I’m not a drinker. I don’t think a drinking culture helps anyone in any way.”
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