‘The most awful time in my life’: Ben Duckett opens up on James Anderson bar incident
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England batsman Ben Duckett has spoken for the first time about the notorious incident when he was suspended and fined for reportedly tipping beer over fast bowler Jimmy Anderson’s head.
Duckett said he was plunged into despair by the incident because ‘no one believed anything I said.’
He said that in fact the drink was ‘vodka and lemonade’ – and lightheartedly claimed his antics might have been ‘applauded’ by freewheeling current England coach Brendan McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
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Duckett, who opens the batting for England in today’s opening match of the Ashes, said he was ‘more grown up’ than he was in 2017 when he was involved in a clash with Anderson in Australia in the 2017 Ashes.
He was punished by former England cricket coach Trevor Baylis after high jinks in a bar in the early hours of the morning in Perth Western Australia when the Aussies won the series by a crushing four nil.
Recalling the incident which many thought had ended his England career for good Duckett said on BBC Radio Four ‘Today’ today: ‘In a funny way I think it would have been applauded in this environment. I have never really spoken about it but it was a ridiculous situation that got blown out of proportion.
‘What everyone thinks is basically not true – first, it wasn’t a beer it was vodka and lemonade I think.
‘That was a really difficult time in my life. No one believed anything I said. I had to go away.’
Pressed if he genuinely felt as bad that at the time, Duckett replied: ‘Oh yes, It was the most awful time in my life.’
England batsman Ben Duckett looks on during England net session at Edgbaston (Getty Images)
He said he thought it could have terminated his England career: ‘But it made me a stronger person. I am certainly a lot more grown up now.’
A series of brilliant batting performances has earned Duckett a recall under new coach McCullum.