England captain Ben Stokes has come to the defence of Ben Duckett, who is facing scrutiny after a viral video showed him appearing drunk while speaking to a local in Australia during the team’s mini-break to Noosa between the second and third Ashes Tests.
Stokes and his team were in Noosa on a four-day break to refresh themselves after losing the first two Tests. Hours after ECB managing director Rob Key confirmed that there would be an investigation into the trip, the video went viral on X and subsequently across other social media platforms. The ECB is carrying out an investigation and will establish the facts before delivering a verdict on Duckett.
“It’s all pretty fresh and pretty new,” Stokes said. “I’ve obviously reached out and spoken to him and offered my complete support throughout this. He’s such an important player for this team, and we’ve still got two games of cricket to play. He’s an incredibly influential person within this group.”
Back in 2017, Stokes was involved in a brawl in Bristol when he was accompanied by Alex Hales. An investigation was carried out at the time, and a judicial enquiry was also set up, which eventually proved the current England captain innocent. Having been in a similar position himself, Stokes has stood by Duckett.
“I have first-hand experience of how this can affect people,” he said. “I will always support my players, particularly in a moment like this when everything feels like it’s on top of you, and for some players more than others as well. My job as England captain is obviously to be out there and get results for the team, but also to try to give people the best chance of being in a mental space where they can go out there and perform.”
Duckett has had a quiet series so far, with his highest score being 29 and an average below 20. Despite the outside noise, he has been backed by his captain and the team management to open the batting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the fourth Ashes Test.
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