Director of cricket Rob Key has defended England’s mid-tour break in Noosa but said he will look into reports that excessive drinking by players in between the second and third Ashes Tests turned it into a “glorified stag do”.
The squad spent four nights on the Queensland coast between the games at Brisbane and Adelaide.
Several media outlets, including the BBC, reported that some players were drinking for a significant portion of their time in Noosa, as well as on two previous days in Brisbane, the venue for the second Test.
A video was shared on social media on Tuesday, which appeared to show England opener Ben Duckett drunk.
In the video, Duckett was asked if he knows how to get home. He says “no” and later swears.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it was “establishing the facts” around the video and that it has “high expectations” around player behaviour.
England produced an improved performance in the third Test, but Australia won to take a 3-0 lead and retain the Ashes in only 11 days of cricket into the series.
“We’ll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on,” England director of cricket Key said. “Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it’s a stag do and stuff like that.
“Stories of players drinking six days solid — that’s unacceptable.”
“If there’s things where people are saying that our players went out and drank excessively then of course we’ll be looking into that,” he said. “I’m not a drinker. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something that I’d expect to see at any stage.
“We’ve added security. We’ve got enough ways of finding out exactly what happened. And everything that I’ve heard so far is that they sat down, had lunch, had
dinner and didn’t go out late and had the odd drink. I don’t mind that.”
Key insisted the concept of giving the team a mid-series break is something
that was necessary, citing the packed international schedule and intense media scrutiny.
“Harry Brook is going to spend six days at home this entire winter. Jofra Archer will go through to the World Cup and the IPL. So I think it’s so important that these players, especially multi-format players, can get away and live a normal life. (But) if it goes into where they’re drinking lots and it’s a stag do, that’s completely unacceptable.
“I think a drinking culture doesn’t help anyone in any stretch whatsoever. (But) I have no issue with Noosa if it was to get away and just throw your phone away, go on the beach, all of that stuff.”
