ECB Investigates Video Allegedly Showing Ben Duckett During Ashes Break in Noosa

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is seeking to verify a video circulating on social media that appears to show England batter Ben Duckett intoxicated and struggling to find his way back to the team hotel during the squad’s break in Noosa between the second and third Ashes Tests.

The recording surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, just hours after England men’s managing director Rob Key confirmed that an investigation would take place into the team’s stay in the Sunshine Coast resort town. England were given four days in Noosa following their eight-wicket defeat in Brisbane, a loss that left them trailing 2-0 in the Ashes series.

The ECB has stressed that the Noosa trip was not a holiday. It had been organised around a year in advance by head coach Brendon McCullum, who believed the break would help refresh the players during a demanding tour. No training sessions were scheduled during the period, and several members of the squad made use of the time off.

England did show signs of improvement in the subsequent Test in Adelaide, producing their strongest performance of the tour. However, they still went down by 82 runs, allowing Australia to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and retain the Ashes inside 11 days.

Speaking at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the fourth Test, which begins on Friday, Key said he would look into the matter but added that he believed the players had been “very well behaved” during the trip.

In a statement, the ECB said: “We are aware of content circulating on social media. We have high expectations for behaviour, accepting that players are often under intense levels of scrutiny, with established processes that we follow when conduct falls below expectations. We also support players that need assistance. We will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts.”

On the field, Duckett has endured a difficult Ashes series despite being one of England’s more dependable batters in recent times. He has scored 97 runs at an average of 16.16, the lowest among England’s specialist batters, with a highest score of 29.

The 31-year-old has also faced disciplinary issues on previous Ashes tours. During the 2017–18 series, while part of the England Lions squad, Duckett was sent home by the ECB, fined and suspended after an incident in Perth in which he poured a drink over senior teammate James Anderson.