England’s troubled Ashes 2025-26 tour in Australia has been rocked by off-field controversy, with a viral video allegedly showing batter Ben Duckett heavily drinking during the team’s break in Noosa. As the ECB launched a formal investigation, England captain Ben Stokes has come forward to defend his player and protect the squad from mounting criticism.
With the Ashes 2025-26 series already slipping from their hand, England has come under fresh pressure after reports claimed some players drank heavily during a short break in Noosa. The timing could not be worse, with the Boxing Day Test just around the corner.
Ben Stokes Breaks Silence on Ben Duckett Drunk Video
Notably, Australia has already retained the Ashes urn by winning the first three Tests against England, and now the touring side will be focusing on saving the pride in the rest of the two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney from December 26 and January 4, respectively.
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Ahead of the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, starting December 26, England captain Ben Stokes has addressed the drama and stands firmly by his players. Instead of getting pulled into the noise, Stokes decided to protect the team and keep spirits together during a very tough phase on the Australia tour.
Ben Stokes said in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by India Today: “How I handle this moment right now is the most important thing to me… The welfare of everyone in there and probably certain individuals as well is the most important thing to me right now as England captain. I know how this kind of stuff can affect people, and my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can.”
Will Ben Stokes Go Against the ECB For His Players?
However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that it will investigate the matter while maintaining that the players didn’t do anything wrong on the break, but Stokes has made it clear that player well-being comes first.
The captain further noted, “Looking after my players is one of the main things that I need to get out of this because we need to go out there and win two games of cricket. Right here, right now, my main job is to ensure they know they have my backing so I can get them into the best possible state to perform for this country.”
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The drama escalated further after several former Australian players slammed the English team for their irresponsible behavior on such a tough tour, especially when they were losing the games. Actually, an unverified video on social media claimed that English players, especially Ben Duckett, were heavily drunk during their four-day break in Noosa.
Ben Stokes admits to unavoidable heavy criticism on the Ashes tour
Well, England’s struggles in Australia make the situation even harder. They have not won a Test Down Under since 2011. They have now lost 16 of their last 18 matches in Australia. With two tests left, England are now fighting to avoid a clean sweep.
Stokes accepted that heavy criticism is unavoidable, as he pointed out that being 3–0 down and already losing the series means every action and comment comes under the microscope. He signed off by saying, “When you’re three-nil down and you’ve lost the series, everything you say and do gets scrutinized. You don’t really have a leg to stand on.”
