In the midst of mounting scrutiny, Ben Stokes has called for “empathy” following the decision to include Ben Duckett in England’s lineup for the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

Duckett found himself at the center of controversy when a video surfaced on social media showing a man humorously suggesting a late-night “Uber to the nets” during England’s four-day break in Noosa between the second and third Tests. The footage, which featured Duckett speaking with slurred speech, came to light shortly after ECB’s managing director Rob Key announced an investigation into the Noosa trip, which had been compared to a “stag-do,” raising further concerns about the team’s drinking culture.

Despite his recent performance, where he averaged only 16 in the series losses at Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, Duckett retained his spot. Meanwhile, Ollie Pope, who averaged 20, was dropped, with Jacob Bethell stepping in at No. 3. The tour has not been kind to England, as Jofra Archer, one of their few standout players, has been sidelined for the remainder of the series due to a left side strain. Gus Atkinson has been called up to fill the void at the MCG.

During a Christmas Eve press conference, Stokes appeared visibly moved as he addressed the criticism surrounding the Noosa trip. He emphasized his responsibility to support his players amidst the widespread backlash from the cricketing community.

Instead, Ollie Pope has been dropped after averaging 20, and will be replaced at No 3 by Jacob Bethell, while Jofra Archer – one of England’s few shining lights on an otherwise disastrous tour – has been ruled out of the rest of the series with a left side strain. Gus Atkinson returns to the side at the MCG.

Stokes cut an almost emotional figure at his press conference on Christmas Eve as he responded to criticism of the team’s Noosa trip by saying it was his job to stand by his players

Stokes, who declined to respond directly to questions about the wisdom of the Noosa trip, said he had ‘reached out’ to Duckett after the video went viral, ‘and offered my complete support’

Stokes cut an almost emotional figure at his press conference on Christmas Eve as he responded to criticism of the team’s trip to Noosa by saying it was his job to stand by his players while the rest of the cricketing world was piling in.

The England captain knows all about the impact of videos leaked by members of the public after his late-night punch-up in the streets of Bristol went viral in 2017, eventually leading to a court case and his acquittal on a charge of affray. In 2021, he took a break from cricket to prioritise his mental health.

‘I know how it 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 just piling on top of you.

‘It’s a very tough place to be in as an individual. But I will always try my best to look after every single person in this group. I’m the captain of the side and I’m very determined to go out and win the remaining two games.’

Stokes, who declined to respond directly to questions about the wisdom of the Noosa trip, said he had ‘reached out’ to Duckett after the video went viral, ‘and offered my complete support with him throughout this’.

He added: ‘He’s such an important player for this team, and we’ve still got two games of cricket to play. He’s an incredibly influential person within this group. I will always support my players, particularly in a moment like this where everything feels like it’s on top of you – and for some players more than others.

‘Supporting them and letting them know that I will be there for them through thick and thin is very, very important, and Ben Duckett knows that.

‘You know when you go up to someone and say: “I’m always here for you, if you need five minutes.” I just reassured him that I’m not saying that just for the sake of it: if you do just want to have however long, just please come to me because I know what it’s like.’

A video emerged online of England batsman Ben Duckett (pictured) appearing to be drunk

In the video, he is seen alone and lost when asked if he knows where he is staying

Asked whether he thought the scrutiny faced by his team had gone too far over the last few weeks, Stokes replied: ‘When you are 3–0 down and you’ve lost the series, everything you say, everything you do, gets scrutinised, and rightly so.

‘You don’t really have a leg to stand on when you have 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 have got two games of cricket left to play. That’s where I see this as more of a thing to focus on. We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long, long time, so there’s lots to play for.’

Stokes’s plea for empathy is unlikely to make a dent in the national euphoria that has swept Australia as they go in search of a 5–0 whitewash. But he provided a rare moment of humanity amid the general mockery when he spoke about the pressures of a tour spiralling out of control.

‘You have to deal with the emotions of being away, the scrutiny that you are under, in particular when things aren’t going well,’ he said. ‘Everything just gets heightened, but there needs to be a little bit of empathy towards stuff that people might not quite understand. I guess if you’re not in it and you’re not among it, it is hard to understand that.

‘In this moment right now, a little bit of empathy from everyone would be not too hard to think about.’