Ben Stokes calls for ’empathy’ for Ben Duckett after ‘drunk’ social media video backlash – as England make two changes for fourth Ashes Test with Jofra Archer RULED OUT for rest of series

Ben Stokes has pleaded for ’empathy’ after Ben Duckett was named in the England squad for the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

Duckett had woken up to unwelcome headlines during the team’s four-day trip to Noosa between the second and third Tests, when a video circulated on social media jokingly offering him a late-night “Uber to Uber”.

The video of Duckett slurring his words emerged just hours after chief executive Rob Key said the ECB was investigating reports that the Noosa trip resembled a “bachelor party” and raised new questions about the drinking culture in the England dressing room.

But Stokes described the opening batsman as ‘a very important player for this team’ and said his duty as captain was to look after the welfare of his players. He added: ‘It wouldn’t be too hard to think of everyone showing a little empathy right now.’

Duckett could easily have been left out of cricket altogether after averaging just 16 in defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Instead, Ollie Pope was dropped after averaging 20 and replaced by Jacob Bethell at No. 3, while Jofra Archer, one of England’s few shining lights in an otherwise disastrous tour, was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to left-side strain. Gus Atkinson returns to the MCG.

Stokes, who declined to directly respond to questions about the wisdom of the Noosa trip, said he contacted Duckett after the video went viral and offered his full support.

Stokes appeared almost emotional at his Christmas Eve press conference as he responded to criticism of the team’s trip to Noosa by saying it was his duty to stand by his players while the rest of the cricket world gathered.

The England captain knows all about the impact of publicly leaked videos after his late-night fisticuffs on the streets of Bristol in 2017 went viral, leading to a trial and acquittal on a charge of affray. He took a break from cricket in 2021 to prioritize his mental health.

‘I know how this can affect people,’ he said. ‘It’s never a nice place to be when not only the media world but also the social media world is piling on you.

‘It’s a very difficult place to be as an individual. But I will always do my best to take care of each person in this group. ‘I am the captain of the team and I am determined to win the remaining two matches.’

Stokes, who refused to directly answer questions about the wisdom of the Noosa trip, said he ‘reached out’ to Duckett after the video went viral and ‘offered him my full support throughout this process’.

He added: ‘He is a very important player for this team and we still have two cricket matches to play. He’s an incredibly influential person in this group. I will always support my players, especially in a moment like this when it feels like everything is on top of you, and for some players more than others.

‘It’s very, very important to support them and let them know that I’ll be there for them through thick and thin, and Ben Duckett knows that.

‘You know when you walk up to someone and say: ‘If you need five minutes, I’m always here for you.’ I reassured him that I wasn’t just saying this for the sake of it: If you want to stay this long, please come to me because I know what it’s like.’

A video of England batsman Ben Duckett (pictured) appearing to be drunk has surfaced online

In the video, he is seen alone and disappears when asked if he knows where he is staying

Asked whether the scrutiny his team have faced over the last few weeks had gone too far, Stokes replied: ‘When you’re 3-0 down and you lose the series, everything you say, everything you do, is scrutinised, and rightly so.

‘When you lose three games in a huge series like this you don’t really have a leg to stand on. Everything is great when you win. Not so when you’re losing.

‘But we’ve got two cricket matches left to play. I see this issue as an issue that needs more attention. ‘We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long time, so there’s a lot to play for.’

Stokes’ plea for empathy is unlikely to deal a dent in the national fervor sweeping Australia as they seek to whitewash a 5-0 lead. But as he spoke about the pressures of a tour spiraling out of control, he offered a rare human moment amid the general cynicism.

“You have to deal with the emotions of being away, the scrutiny you’re under, especially when things aren’t going well,” he said. ‘Everything is getting more exaggerated, but there is a need for some empathy towards things that people may not fully understand. I think it’s hard to understand if you’re not in it and you’re not in it.

‘It wouldn’t be too hard to think of everyone having a little empathy right now.’