'Don't have a leg to stand on': Ben Stokes shields squad as Noosa 'stag do' probe intensifies
Updated . First published at
Ben Stokes is standing by his squad.
Having copped criticism over their off-field antics during a trip to Noosa, the England captain insisted he is more concerned with the players' mental well-being and getting them back in a winning headspace.
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Ben Stokes leads England off the field after day three of the Third Test at Adelaide Oval. Getty
With social media buzzing over footage of what appears to be an intoxicated Ben Duckett, Stokes offered his public backing to his teammates — though he admitted that the backlash regarding the team's play is warranted.
England's four-day detour to Noosa between the second and third Tests has been mired in controversy, with British media reporting that some players spent the break in a state of excessive drinking.
Fronting media on Wednesday, Stokes acknowledged the brutality of being caught in a social media pile-on, while insisting his focus remains on winning the final two Tests rather than the off-field noise.
"I know how this can affect people," he said.
"It's never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is piling on top of you. It's a very tough place to be in as an individual.
"As an individual, when you know you have the support of leaders, in a sense, it's very good to know you've got that support. I'll always try my best to look after every person in the group, from players to support staff.
Ben Stokes poses with some Aussie cricket fans in Noosa. Twitter
"I'm the captain of the side and very, very determined to go out and win the remaining two games and make sure our focus is more towards that than some of the other stuff now."
Following England's bruising Ashes defeat, team director Rob Key confirmed the England and Wales Cricket Board is investigating claims that the squad's Noosa break resembled a booze-fuelled "stag do".
Stokes did not specifically address those allegations or the unverified video of Duckett, but refused to hide behind excuses for the team's poor performance.
"When you're 3-0 down and lost the series, everything you say and do gets scrutinised and rightly so," he said.
"You don't have a leg to stand on when you've lost three games in a huge series like this. When you're winning, everything's great, when you're losing, it's not.
"But we've got two games of cricket to play. That's what we have to focus on. We haven't won a game in Aus for a long, long time."
England captain Ben Stokes reacts as Josh Inglis of Australia scores runs. Getty
Just hours after Key vowed to investigate claims of excessive drinking in Noosa, the 78-second video of Duckett, unable to find his way back to the team hotel, surfaced on social media, adding fuel to the fire.
While the squad was seen mingling with locals on the Noosa beachfront, the emergence of the video of Duckett suggests their stay was far rowdier than the team first let on.
"We are aware of content circulating on social media," the ECB said in a statement on Tuesday night.
"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 who need assistance.
"We will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts."
