Rob Key, England's team director, has defended the decision to allow a mid-Ashes break in Noosa but confirmed he will investigate reports of excessive drinking by players that turned the trip into a 'glorified stag do'. Unverified social media footage has emerged appearing to show Ben Duckett worse for wear during the four-night stay on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Speaking before the footage circulated, Key said: 'If there are 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.' An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson later added: 'We are aware of content circulating on social media. We have high expectations for behaviour.'
Key insisted the break was necessary due to the packed international schedule and intense media scrutiny in Australia. 'Harry Brook is going to spend six days at home this entire winter. Jofra Archer will go through to the World Cup and the Indian Premier League. So I think it's so important that these players can get away and live a normal life,' he said. However, he stressed: 'If it goes into where they're drinking lots and it's a stag do, that's completely unacceptable.'
Key conceded Australia's superiority with the ball and admitted some players may have been persisted with for too long. He also noted that playing white-ball cricket in New Zealand before the Ashes may have affected players like Duckett. Regarding his own future and that of head coach Brendon McCullum, Key said: 'As far as I'm concerned, that's out of my hands really. The decision for the ECB will be whether they want to rip it up and start again, or whether they want to evolve.'
