Respite for Ben Duckett as ECB gives clean chit to England over Noosa drinking row, focus back on cricket: Report

The ECB concluded there is no disciplinary case regarding England's Noosa trip after their Adelaide defeat.

England’s Ashes tour drama has taken another twist, with the ECB privately concluding there is no disciplinary case to answer over the much-discussed Noosa trip that followed their defeat in Adelaide.

Ben Duckett walks after losing his wicket, bowled out by Australia's Mitchell Starc.(REUTERS)

The episode had threatened to become an unwanted subplot to a series England had already lost on the field. Reports in the UK had portrayed the four-day break on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as resembling a “stag-do”, prompting questions about professionalism, timing and optics — especially with England chasing form, confidence and cohesion in brutal Australian conditions.

At the heart of the furore was a video of batter Ben Duckett that appeared to show him heavily intoxicated and slurring while interacting with a fan. The clip fuelled wider speculation that the mid-series escape had crossed the line from recovery into excess. England, already under intense scrutiny after a string of rapid defeats, found themselves facing a different kind of interrogation: not about technique or tactics, but about standards and culture.

However, an internal review has since found nothing beyond routine social drinking. According to a report by the Daily Mail, the ECB’s investigation did not uncover evidence warranting action, with the assessment that there was no misconduct more serious than alcohol consumption in a downtime window that had been planned well in advance. Senior figures also leaned on a practical reality: in the age of ubiquitous phone cameras, any genuinely damaging incident would almost certainly have surfaced quickly and widely.

Rob Key, England’s managing director, had previously said the board would not be “naïve” about the issue, stressing that while a reset can be healthy, any “excessive” behaviour would be unacceptable. The ECB’s cautious public posture during the review reflected concerns that another viral video could emerge, compounding the situation.

The timing matters. England’s tour has been shaped by sharp collapses, heavy defeats and then a late lift — a morale-boosting win at the MCG that reminded everyone the squad can still compete when clarity meets intensity. With the final Test at the SCG around the corner, England will hope the Noosa saga now fades into the background.

Still, the incident leaves a lingering lesson. Even when there is no wrongdoing, perception can travel faster than fact — and in an Ashes cauldron, every off-field ripple risks becoming a wave.