England ‘establishing the facts’ after apparent Ben Duckett video goes viral on social media

England are “establishing the facts” after an apparent video featuring opener Ben Duckett went viral on social media.

The ECB statement follows Rob Key, managing director of men’s cricket, confirming that an investigation would take place over the players’s trip to Noosa, which had been likened to a “stag do,” according to some reports.

Key defended the trip between the second and third Test, after the humiliation of surrendering the Ashes in just 11 days of play, with the hosts leading 3-0 with two Tests remaining, setting up a new era and an end to ‘Bazball’.

The video allegedly shows Duckett in conversation with a group of people, who ask if he knows how to get home. It is not clear when the footage was filmed or by whom.

After reports that drinking sessions in Noosa resembled a “stag do”, an ECB spokesperson told Sky Sports News that they are “aware of content circulating on social media.”

The statement continued: "We have high expectations for behaviour, accepting that players are often under intense levels of scrutiny, with established processes that we follow when conduct falls below expectations. We also support players that need assistance.

"We will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts.”

England’s players were followed by several TV crews, photographers and reporters during the four-day trip in Noosa, limiting the opportunity to fully switch off.

Key also underlined his belief that the players were “very well behaved,” before accepting that excessive drinking during the tour was “completely unacceptable”.

He said: “If there’s things where people are saying that our players went out and drank excessively, then of course we’ll be looking into that.

“Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something that I’d expect to see at any stage and it would be a fault not to look into what happened there. From everything that I’ve heard so far, they actually were pretty well behaved. Very well behaved.

“We’ve got enough ways of finding out exactly what happened and everything that I’ve heard so far that they sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all of that, had the odd drink. I don’t mind that. If it goes past that, then that’s an issue as far as I’m concerned.

“I have no issue with the Noosa trip if it was to get away and just throw your phone away, down tools, go on the beach, all of that stuff. If it goes into where they’re drinking lots and it’s a stag do, all of that type of stuff, that’s completely unacceptable. I’m not a drinker, I think a drinking culture doesn’t help anyone in any stretch whatsoever.”

Ben Stokes’s side rebounded somewhat after the second Test to put in their best performance from an underwhelming series, only to lose by 82 runs and fall behind 3-0 in the series.

The fourth Test at the iconic MCG in Melbourne on Boxing Day, which begins on Christmas Day in the UK, offers England a chance to salvage some pride before the final Test in Sydney on 3 January.