BEN Duckett’s international career is in the last-chance saloon after he was suspended for the remainder of the England Lions tour of Australia and received a final written warning over his conduct.
The 23-year-old batsman, who will remain on the tour but not play, also faces the maximum fine “allowable for an England Lions player” for pouring beer over Test star James Anderson in a Perth bar.
Lions opener Duckett was left out of England’s two-day match against a Cricket Australia XI on Saturday after it emerged he had doused England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in a late-night prank.
The fine imposed on Duckett is believed to be around £1,500.
The incident occurred late on Thursday night when the Ashes tourists returned to the same bar in which Jonny Bairstow delivered his “head-butt” greeting for Australia opener Cameron Bancroft at the start of their tour.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed Duckett’s punishment in a brief statement on Sunday.
It read: “Following a disciplinary hearing with England Lions player Ben Duckett, ECB can confirm the following measures have been placed on the player.
“Fined the maximum allowable amount for an England Lions player.
“Suspended from playing for the rest of the current Lions Australian training camp.
“Issued with a final written warning in respect of his conduct as an England player.
“Duckett will remain with the England Lions party in Australia and will return to England at the end of the camp on December 17.”
Duckett has therefore foregone the opportunity not just to play for a full England team this weekend, in a match which was drawn, but also their remaining Twenty20 fixtures – scheduled to start against Big Bash team Perth Scorchers on Monday.
Save for sending Duckett home immediately, which was mooted as a possibility, the outcome of his hearing appears to demonstrate that England are in no mood for any lenient responses to further transgressions.
Their Ashes tour was beset by off-the-field issues before it even began, and has continued in the same vein.
Duckett and his Lions colleagues were joined by around 10 members of the Ashes squad, freshly arrived back in Perth after going 2-0 down with three to play against Australia.
It was also the first time they were no longer subject to a midnight curfew, imposed by ECB director Andrew Strauss at the end of last month in response to the embarrassment caused by Bairstow’s unusual but benign method of introducing himself to Bancroft.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here