{"id":369528,"date":"2025-12-24T20:30:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T20:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/369528\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T20:30:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T20:30:31","slug":"england-cricket-boss-to-investigate-teams-noosa-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/369528\/","title":{"rendered":"England cricket boss to investigate team’s Noosa break"},"content":{"rendered":"

An emotional Ben Stokes has defended the England team after a social media video said to feature Ben Duckett at Noosa, was the latest crisis to hit their disastrous Ashes tour.<\/p>\n

The captain said the mental health of the English players was his top priority.<\/p>\n

Stokes added he knew how they would be feeling, given the media storm he weathered nearly a decade ago. He was found not guilty of affray following a 2017 fight near a Bristol nightclub.<\/p>\n

The video, which the ECB is investigating, was circulated on Tuesday night \u2013 hours after England cricket boss Rob Key said they would look into \u00a0claims of excessive drinking during their mid-tour break in Noosa.<\/p>\n

England are 3-0 down heading into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, their Ashes hopes dashed.<\/p>\n

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\"England'sEngland coach Brendon McCullum with team managing director Rob Key during a training session. Picture: AAP.<\/p>\n

Stokes said they have plenty still to play for and are determined to win the last two Tests, but his immediate priority on Wednesday was looking after teammates\u2019 welfare.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow I handle this moment right now is the most important thing to me,\u201d Stokes said at his pre-game media conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe welfare of everyone in there, and probably some certain individuals, is the most important thing to me right now as England captain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of stuff is very \u2013 I don\u2019t know if \u2018close to me\u2019 is the right wording \u2013 but something I have first-hand experience of how it can affect people.<\/p>\n

\"\"Noosa Main Beach, adjacent to Hastings Street. Picture: Shutterstock.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n

After speaking in general terms for several minutes about the current issues, Stokes was asked whether he thought they had done anything wrong in Noosa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just answered everything there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

England trained at the MCG on Wednesday afternoon and were to announce their team afterwards, with speculation there will be at least a couple of changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a goal still to try and achieve out here on this trip \u2013 it\u2019s not gone anywhere near to plan, whatsoever,\u201d Stokes said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here, right now, that is my main job as England captain \u2013 to ensure that they know they have my backing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never a nice place to be in, when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is just piling on top of you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the captain of the side and I\u2019m very, very determined to go out win the remaining two games and making sure our focus is more towards that than some of the other stuff that\u2019s going on right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if the players will be ready on Thursday, Stokes replied: \u201cthat\u2019s where the certain skill of leadership comes to be most important.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to make sure that we come together and make sure the focus is still heavily on the cricket \u2013 we still have a helluva lot to play for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very determined to leave Australia with something positive to look back on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stokes was asked if the constant criticism of England\u2019s performance is justified.<\/p>\n

\"\"Noosa\u2019s renowned Hastings Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re 3-0 down and you\u2019ve lost the series, everything you say, everything you do gets scrutinised \u2026 and rightly so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t really have a leg to stand on.<\/p>\n

The video is yet to be verified, but has been widely circulated.<\/p>\n

It appears to have been filmed before last week\u2019s Adelaide Test, with a reference to England being down 2-0 in the series.<\/p>\n

The footage shows a man, identified in the video as Duckett, who is slurring his words and does not know the directions to where he is staying. The location is apparently in Noosa.<\/p>\n

Earlier on Tuesday, Key had spoken to English journalists and said the team\u2019s drinking habits would be investigated, following reports their mid-Ashes beach break resembled a \u201cstag do\u201d.<\/p>\n

The squad visited Noosa between the second and third Tests.<\/p>\n

Key, who did not join the group in Noosa, has said he would not be happy if he found evidence of over-indulging.<\/p>\n

In response to the video posted on Tuesday night, an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson said: \u201cWe are aware of content circulating on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have high expectations for behaviour, accepting that players are often under intense levels of scrutiny, with established processes that we follow when conduct falls below expectations. We also support players that need assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n