Duckett lifts lid on boozy Anderson Ashes incident which almost cost him career

20 June 2023 , 12:41

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Ben Duckett thought his England career was over after an incident with James Anderson during the 2017-18 Ashes (Image: Stu Forster - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

Back in 2017, England opener Ben Duckett worried his international career could be over after he was fined and suspended for pouring an alcoholic drink over James Anderson's head during the Ashes.

Duckett was part of the England Lions squad that toured Australia during the 2017-18 series and was hoping to force his way back into contention with some impressive performances. However, he was reprimanded by the ECB after pouring a drink over Anderson in a late-night incident at the Avenue Bar in Perth, the same venue where Jonny Bairstow had "greeted" Australian opener Cameron Bancroft with a 'headbutt' earlier on the tour.

The incident involving Duckett and Anderson occurred with England already 2-0 down in the series and with intense scrutiny on their off-field behaviour, following the Bairstow 'headbutt' and Ben Stokes ' arrest for affray earlier that same year; the England captain was ultimately found not guilty. At the time, head coach Trevor Bayliss was absolutely furious, fuming: "It's a fairly trivial incident but, in the current climate, it's just not acceptable.

"Everyone has been warned how small things can be blown out of all proportion. And the ECB have been quite strict to the boys in terms of their message. It's quite simply unacceptable. I am fed up. Very much so.

"I'm here to coach the team and I end up spending most of my time in front of cameras trying to explain some behaviour the boys have been warned about. I'm not sure exactly what more I can say to them. I'm sure there will be some stern words from above.

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"I might review who is in the team. You can't keep making the same mistakes. Look, most of the guys are fine. But somewhere along the line, some guys have to pull their heads in. It's totally unacceptable."

Duckett said the incident was "most awful time in my life" (Gareth Copley - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

Now, almost six years later, Duckett is playing in his first ever Ashes series and has reflected on the incident in an appearance on BBC Radio Four's 'Today' programme, calling it the "most awful time in my life". He said: "In a funny way I think it would have been applauded in this environment.

"I have never really spoken about it but it was a ridiculous situation that got blown out of proportion. What everyone thinks is basically not true - first, it wasn't a beer it was vodka and lemonade I think. That was a really difficult time in my life. No one believed anything I said. I had to go away. It was the most awful time in my life."

Duckett went on to admit he thought at the time he may never play for England again, but is a "stronger person" now and has since established himself as a regular in all three formats. "It made me a stronger person," he added. "I am certainly a lot more grown up now."

Anderson later branded the incident a "non-event" (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Anderson also made it clear at the time that there were no hard feelings, branding the whole thing "silly" in a column for the Telegraph. "The incident with Ben Duckett was not malicious and was a bit of a non-event but we understand that in this climate we have to be smarter in the future," he said.

"The frustrating thing is that what was a pretty silly incident would have gone unnoticed before but now puts an unfair question mark over our culture. I know Australia will use the Duckett incident as a way of goading us, or taking the mickey.

"Fine. It will probably be funnier than what they have spouted at me so far in this series. They jump on anything to have a go at you so I am expecting a bit of lip. I have no problem with that."

Matthew Cooper