The Ben Stokes-led England team has conceded the Ashes urn in just 11 days, having suffered defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. With two games remaining, the Three Lions will have to buck up or face further humiliation of a 5-0 whitewash.
Amid the on-field debacle, the touring cricketers are also facing backlash for alleged excessive drinking in Noosa during the break between second and third Ashes Tests. A video of England opener Ben Duckett is also doing rounds on social media, appearing to show intoxication.
ECB’s director of cricket, Rob Key, has said that drinking accusations against the players would be investigated.
Meanwhile, former England skipper Michael Vaughan has said that he won’t criticise people who have had a few beers during the break, but not knowing when to be back home after getting drunk is problematic, as he took a swipe at Duckett.
“I am not going to criticise England for what they got up to in Noosa. I criticise what they do on the cricket field, the way they play and the way they prepare to play cricket. I am not going to point the finger at a group of young people who have had a few beers on a couple of days off," Vaughan wrote in his column in The Telegraph.
“I did the same as them when I played for England, although I did at least know when it was time to go home and that is probably what Ben Duckett needs to learn," he added.
Vaughan also mentioned that cricketers cannot be blamed for such incidents, noting the culture is shaped by the sport itself.
“Duckett shouldn’t be reprimanded at all on the evidence we have seen and neither should the other players, because it is a wider issue: the game of cricket has created this drinking culture," Vaughan stated.
“England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all have the same culture. You give a group of young people three or four days off to relax and they are going to do something like this," he further remarked.
England will look to salvage some pride in the remaining two Ashes Tests at Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 4-8).
