Story byRory DollardWed, December 24, 2025 at 2:52 PM UTC·3 min readEngland captain Ben Stokes is offering his full support to under-fire Ben Duckett, after a viral video on social media put the opener in the spotlight. The tourists’ boozy break in Noosa between the second and third Ashes Test matches has sparked controversy. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementManaging director Rob Key confirmed an investigation is underway over the squad’s alcohol intake throughout the series, underlining how “unacceptable” it would be if behaviour resembled a “stag-do”. And after unverified footage emerged in what appeared to show an inebriated Duckett in a tense exchange with members of the public, Stokes has emphasised his role in putting a protective arm around his beleaguered side despite reiterating the England and Wales Cricket Board’s “high expectations of behaviour”. There will be nowhere to hide at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a festive crowd of around 90,000 are expected to dish out plenty of partisan barracking, with Duckett’s precarious position hardly helped by a series batting average of just 16. Stokes has endured difficult moments in his own career – including being thrown off an England Lions tour in 2013 for breaking team rules and being found not guilty on charges of affray following a 2017 incident outside a Bristol nightclub. He took a mental health break from the game in 2021 and later released a documentary, which detailed his personal struggles. England opener Ben Duckett, right, is under pressure (PA)“I am obviously aware of the reports and everything circulating around. My main concern right now is my players and how I handle this moment is the most important thing to me,” he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I have first-hand experience of how this can affect people and my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can.
