Ben Duckett admits inappropriate behavior during Ashes 2025-26: Details

By Gaurav Tripathi

Mar 28, 2026 09:04 am

What's the story

England cricketer Ben Duckett has admitted to inappropriate behavior during the team's 4-1 defeat in the Ashes series against Australia. The 31-year-old was filmed drinking heavily after the second Test in December, when England trailed 0-2 in the series. "I've held my hands up since then," Duckett told reporters, adding that such behavior is not acceptable for any professional athlete.

Personal challenges

Duckett scored 202 runs averaging 20.20

Duckett admitted that both he and the team were struggling at that time. He said, "We were struggling as a side and I was struggling as a player so I shouldn't have put myself in a position like that." The batsman scored only 202 runs at an average of 20.20 during the Ashes series, which was below par for his standards.

Gratitude expressed

Duckett thanked Stokes McCullum and Key

Duckett thanked England skipper Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum, and managing director Rob Key for their support during this challenging time. He said he wasn't proud of his performance in Australia but has always been good at acknowledging when he's wrong. "Hopefully, moving forward, people will see how much playing for England means," Duckett added.

Advertisement

Career decision

Duckett withdrew from IPL, declined 2cr

In a show of commitment to international cricket, Duckett withdrew from the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this week. He was bought by Delhi Capitals for ₹2 crore but pulled out four days before the tournament to focus on his England career. He said that pulling out of the IPL and turning down a good chunk of money was a step in the right direction.

Click here to read article