Drunk and lost? Viral video of England star during Ashes sparks massive online storm, ECB breaks silence

A video of England cricketer Ben Duckett, clearly drunk and lost while trying to find his way back to the team hotel during a break between the Ashes Tests, is doing the rounds on social media. In the clip, which has already gone viral on X, Duckett looks completely out of his mind, stumbling and confused. It was revealed just hours after chief executive Rob Key announced they would review the team’s recent trip to Noosa. The England and Wales Cricket Board has made it clear that this does not mean a holiday.

After losing by eight wickets to Australia in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, head coach Brendon McCullum organized the trip to Noosa to give the players some breathing room. Key insisted the team acted well, even as they launched the investigation.

What is this behavior of Ben Duckett? After drinking too much, he completely lost his mind. Disappointing attitude. We need to be serious. pic.twitter.com/KVsCbv73jX

— Aryan Goel (@Aryan42832Goel) December 23, 2025

“We are aware of the content circulating on social media,” the ECB statement said. “We have high expectations around conduct, recognize that players are often under intense scrutiny, and have established processes we follow where behavior falls below expectations. We also support players who need assistance. We will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts.”

He also pointed out that international cricketers should not get drunk. It’s just not standard.

“If there are things that people are saying about our players going out and drinking excessively then of course we will investigate that,” he said. “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something I would expect to see at any stage and it would be a mistake not to investigate what’s going on there. From everything I’ve heard so far they’ve actually behaved quite well. They’ve behaved very well.”

“There’s plenty of ways to find out exactly what happened. Everything I’ve heard so far is [is] that they sit down, have lunch, have dinner, stay out late, and have the odd drink. “I don’t mind that,” he added.

With England already 3-0 down and the Ashes out of reach, Ben Stokes said he was focusing on looking after his players rather than getting caught up in the drama. He prioritized players’ welfare ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

“How I handle this moment is the most important thing for me right now. The welfare of everyone there, and probably some people, is the most important thing to me as England captain right now. I know how these things can affect people and it’s my job as England captain to protect my players as much as I can.”

On top of all the on-field challenges, this latest incident adds to an already challenging Ashes tour for England. The team continues to fall short and the gap to Australia continues to grow.

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