Ben Duckett admits off-field Ashes behaviour was inappropriate and explains IPL withdrawal

England batter Ben Duckett has admitted to behaving inappropriately during the team's humbling 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, acknowledging he should not have put himself in a compromising position.

The 31-year-old was caught on camera under the influence of alcohol following the second Test in December, when England were 2-0 down in the series.

"I've held my hands up since then," Duckett told reporters. "It's not something any professional sportsman should be doing.

“We were having a break that was planned before the series and if we were winning it probably wouldn't have been news and nobody would have cared. We were struggling as a side and I was struggling as a player so I shouldn't have put myself in a position like that."

Duckett, who scored only 202 runs at an average of 20.20 during the Ashes, also reflected on his below-par performances.

He did not play in the Twenty20 World Cup, where England were eliminated by champions India in the semi-finals this month.

He expressed gratitude for the support from captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum, and managing director Rob Key.

"I wasn't proud of how things went in Australia," Duckett stated. "But I've been good during my career in acknowledging when I've got it wrong and hopefully, moving forward, people will see how much playing for England means."

Demonstrating his commitment to international cricket, Duckett withdrew from the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this week, having been bought by Delhi Capitals for 20 million Indian rupees ($211,000).

He pulled out four days before the tournament to prioritise his England career.

"For me pulling out of the IPL, turning down a good chunk of money and missing the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the world to be here playing for Notts (Nottinghamshire) is a step in the right direction to show how important playing for England is," he explained.

England are set to host New Zealand in a three-match Test series in June.

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