What was meant to be a short break between Tests has turned into an uncomfortable moment for England cricket, with a viral video of Ben Duckett adding to the team’s growing troubles on the Ashes tour. The England Test opener is seen in an embarrassing clip that has quickly spread across social media, prompting the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to step in and investigate.
The 78-second video appears to show Ben Duckett under the influence of alcohol, struggling to find his way back home late at night. In the footage, he approaches strangers and asks for help, at one point requesting a bystander’s phone to book transport. When asked if he knew where he was staying, Ben Duckett admitted that he did not, sounding confused and disoriented.
As the clip continues, Ben Duckett speaks about the team’s situation in the series, reflecting on England’s poor results and suggesting that getting back to training might be the sensible option. He also makes self-deprecating remarks about himself and uses several expletives, further adding to the awkwardness of the moment. The overall tone of the video has left fans and observers uncomfortable, especially given the timing.
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The incident has surfaced amid reports that England players were spending time socialising in Noosa, a popular and affluent resort town in Queensland, following their defeat in the second Test of the 2025–26 Ashes. While the break had been planned well in advance due to a long gap between matches, the England camp has consistently maintained that it was meant to be a period of rest rather than partying.
Reacting to the viral footage, the ECB released a statement acknowledging the situation and confirming that it is being looked into. The board stressed that it holds players to high standards of behaviour, while also recognising the intense scrutiny international cricketers face. It added that support systems are in place if players require help and said no further comment would be made until the facts are established.
The timing could not be worse for the ECB, as it came only hours after England’s managing director Rob Key publicly defended the team’s conduct during the Noosa break. Rob Key had said the players had behaved responsibly and that any claims of excessive drinking would be taken seriously if proven.
With England already 3-0 down in the series, the video is unlikely to ease concerns about discipline and focus on tour, further complicating an Ashes campaign that has gone wrong both on and off the field.
