England opener Ben Duckett has admitted that he has to be better in the public eye, and that there was no excuse for his behaviour during the Ashes in the winter of 2025.
A video of Duckett had emerged where he looked visibly drunk during England's mid-series trip to Noosa in a series filled with controversy and criticism.
"I have to be better at dealing with being in the public eye. I probably had a week at home since October so it can be tough, but that is certainly no excuse for some of my actions," Duckett told Sky Sports News.
The Ashes in the winter was the first series under the Stokes-McCullum regime that Duckett ended with an average below 30. He averaged 20.20 in Australia in five Tests, with a highest score of 42. He spoke of his disappointment on how the campaign went, struggling to counter the Australian bowling attack.
"I'm very disappointed with how I went. It wasn't the campaign I was hoping for but now it's about not dwelling on it too much. There are lots of different things I can look at but you can also look at holding your hands up and saying 'well played' to the opposition. It was extremely tough and Australia's bowling unit from start to finish was incredibly difficult. I felt in good touch throughout but didn't go on to get a big score," Duckett said.
The Ashes form impacted him beyond that series, as Duckett found himself benched throughout England’s T20 World Cup campaign. His place in the Test team also came into question after the horrid winter. Duckett spoke of how he needs to work on his fitness, to reduce injuries as he grows older.
Reflecting over the World Cup and looking back over my winter, I am not getting any younger and I don't want to be having niggles. When my England career comes to an end, I want that to be down to lack of runs and not injuries. It's about prolonging my career and being as fit as I can so that part of my game is never going to be an issue," Duckett added
Duckett also pulled out of the IPL, where he was signed by the Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore, to prioritise red-ball cricket as he fights for his place in the Test team. He will feature for Nottinghamshire, who are going into the 2026 County Championship as defending champions.
"The IPL is the best franchise tournament in the world and you are playing against the best players around so it would have been great for my game. But I have to look at myself and what I prioritise and that is playing cricket for England. Trying to score red-ball runs will hopefully help me out later in the summer," Duckett said.
