England Cricket to Investigate Reports of Excessive Drinking During Noosa Mid-Ashes Break
Rob Key, overseeing England cricket, announced an investigation into reports of excessive drinking during the Noosa mid-tour break following social media footage involving Ben Duckett. The Noosa break, a four-night rest period on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, occurred between the second and third Ashes Tests. BBC reports indicate some players spent six days drinking after England's defeat in Brisbane.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) acknowledged awareness of the circulating content, affirming their high behavioural expectations for players and indicating they will follow established processes before issuing further comment.
Key, who had previously reprimanded white-ball captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell for drinking the night before the final ODI against New Zealand, emphasized the necessity of mid-tour breaks to rest multi-format players. However, he stressed such breaks should not devolve into stag party-like events or involve excessive drinking.
Regarding team performance, Key conceded Australia's dominance with the ball and suggested some England players may have been persisted with too long, without naming any individuals specifically. He also noted England's preparation challenges in Australia, including the choice of Perth over Adelaide club grounds and lack of access to the Waca Ground, although he stated that access would not have guaranteed a different outcome.
Looking ahead, Harry Brook is set to spend six days at home this winter, while Jofra Archer will proceed to participate in the World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
