Ben Duckett in the mire, but England’s problem are more than one and there needs to be a collective owning of mis-steps for England.
Lost. Perplexed. Take your time reacting. doubts about himself and his position. And that’s only the first six innings in Australia.
There is always one main character on a depressing Ashes tour. Never being it is the aim. Unfortunately for Ben Duckett, he was the main character in the most recent chapter of England’s disastrous 2025–26 campaign going into Christmas Eve in Melbourne.
A video purportedly showing Duckett drunk during the four-day mini-break surfaced just hours after Rob Key promised to investigate the extent of drinking during the vacation to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Everything about it was rather predictable. Since the beginning of the tour, England’s more gregarious cricket players have been out and about without worrying about backlash. They have frequently taken pictures with customers. It was therefore not surprising that a few willing submissions for Key’s probe appeared on social media as soon as he said that he would investigate whether the team was “drinking heavily”.
With the score and Duckett’s average of 16.16—the lowest of England’s legitimate hitters—it was always going to seem worse. Even Ollie Pope, who was benched for the MCG’s fourth Test, is averaging more at 20.83.
Duckett showed up for training on Wednesday despite missing it on Tuesday, which was a remarkable display of taking responsibility for the situation. In terms of England’s chances of winning the Ashes, there has been a lot of fronting up in the days since Adelaide’s devastating loss, and this was one of them. It’s difficult to tell at this point if his teammates’ clapping was sincere or mocking, or even if it matters, as they welcomed him to the open MCG nets.
It’s critical to distinguish between the two primary problems. In the video, Duckett doesn’t make a good impression. Even worse, he was sent home from an Ashes trip while playing for the Lions in 2017–18 after spilling a drink on James Anderson, so he is well aware of how harsh these events can be. However, the primary issue is that Duckett, who came to Australia as a fundamental component of Bazball, has been just as dreadful as England. He is both a very mischievous youngster and an out-of-form rescuer going into Christmas.
No matter how many videos and tales surface in the last few weeks, there must be a shared admission of mistakes. Duckett is not the only player whose performance is lacking, nor is he the one who has fostered an atmosphere that has resulted in a relaxed atmosphere perplexed by conflicting signals for its most important task.
When you travel to Australia, be self-assured but not arrogant. Go out and about, but not excessively. Strike them forcefully, but avoid using your hands. Enjoy your vacation in Noosa, but not in that manner.
Usually, this is the time of year to reflect and express gratitude, but only one of those feels right.