Key had said before the video circulated on Tuesday that heavy drinking during an international tour was “completely unacceptable”, but Stokes threw his support behind Duckett, describing him as an “important player” and an “incredibly influential person” within the England change room.
“It’s all pretty fresh and pretty new,” Stokes said. “I’ve obviously reached out and spoken to him and offered my complete support with him throughout this. 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.”
Stokes has often been the subject of unwanted media attention, not least when he was involved in a street-fight outside a Bristol nightclub and was suspended from the 2017-18 Ashes tour by the ECB as a result.
“I have first-hand experience of how this can affect people,” he said. “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 as well. My job as England captain is obviously to be out there and get results for the team, but also to try to give people the best chance of being in a mental space where they can go out there and perform.
“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… I know what it’s like. It’s not a nice place to be in, but he knows that he’s got the support of myself and the other guys around him as well.”
He refused to answer when asked if Duckett had done anything wrong. “I’m here to support him. I’ll always support my players and I made that pretty clear.”
England have come under intense scrutiny since arriving in Australia and Stokes described going 3-0 down as the toughest period of his tenure. “I’ve been in this role for a while now and I’ve had some very, very, very good times,” he told SEN Radio. “Right here, right now, this is, most definitely, the hardest time that I’ve had as England captain.”
He added that England’s players deserve some “empathy” while touring overseas for long periods of time. “It is very gruelling and it is tough when you’re here, there and everywhere,” he said. “You have to deal with the emotions of being away, the scrutiny that you are under, in particular when things aren’t going well… There needs to be a little bit of empathy.”
