Darren Lehmann defends England over Noosa drinking row: "I was there, they were well behaved"
Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has stepped in to defend England amid allegations of excessive drinking during their mid-Ashes break in Noosa, insisting he was present during the visit and witnessed the touring side behaving professionally and respectfully. His intervention adds a fresh perspective to the controversy that has engulfed Ben Stokes’ team following their Ashes capitulation.
“I was actually there—they were really well behaved”
Speaking on ABC Sports, Lehmann—who represented Australia in 27 Tests and 117 ODIs and later coached the national team—offered a spirited defence of the England squad after reports in the British media accused players of drinking too much during their six-day stay in the Queensland resort town ahead of the third Test in Adelaide.
“I was in Noosa and this bugs me. I am all for getting stuck into England. They haven’t played well enough, their preparation before the first game of the series was not good—I get all that. But I was actually there. They were actually really well behaved. They mixed with the locals, had a good time,” Lehmann said.
He added: “The reports of them stagging it up are just wrong. They were polite and a delight to the people of Noosa, played golf, played soccer with the locals—all that sort of stuff. They were well liked there.”
Ben Duckett video sparks ECB investigation
The drinking allegations have been fuelled by a viral video circulating on social media platform X, which appears to show England opener Ben Duckett intoxicated and struggling to find his way back to the team hotel after a night out in Noosa.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed it is investigating the footage, which has not yet been authenticated but is widely believed to have been filmed during the squad’s scheduled mid-series break between the second and third Tests.
According to the BBC and other outlets, the video shows Duckett appearing worse for wear, with the clip mentioning England being “down 2-0” in the series, placing it before the Adelaide Test. England’s Director of Cricket, Rob Key, confirmed the investigation and said excessive drinking would be unacceptable for an international team.
Captain Ben Stokes described the situation as one that “obviously sucks” but stopped short of condemning his players, while stressing the importance of salvaging pride in the final two Tests.
Lehmann slams “campaign” against England
Lehmann took particular issue with what he perceives as a media pile-on against the tourists, criticizing Key’s decision to launch what he mockingly called a “stag-do review.
“I would defend them a bit because that’s just out of order. They are running a campaign against them almost, and now Rob Key is doing what—a stag-do review or whatever they call it?” Lehmann said.
“I didn’t see that. I saw people relaxing, enjoying Noosa for what it is. It didn’t look good because of what had happened previously, but I have to come to their defence here because they are professional athletes and they are well behaved from what I saw.”
Context: England’s Noosa break under scrutiny
England’s decision to take a mid-series break to Noosa had been planned well before the Ashes began, and the squad spent four nights at the resort following their eight-wicket defeat in the day-night second Test at the Gabba.
The timing of the break, however, has attracted criticism given the circumstances:
England were already 2-0 down in the series after heavy defeats in Perth (inside two days) and Brisbane.
The team had been heavily criticized for inadequate preparation before the series, having played only a low-key warm-up match against the England Lions and skipping a pink-ball fixture against a Prime Minister’s XI before the Gabba Test.
Head coach Brendon McCullum bizarrely claimed England had “overprepared” for the second Test after scheduling five consecutive net sessions in Brisbane, two more than usual.
After Noosa, England had just three days of training in Adelaide before the third Test, which they lost by 82 runs to surrender the Ashes with two matches still to play.
Drinking accusations follow Ashes capitulation
The drinking allegations have surfaced in the wake of England’s humiliating 3-0 series defeat in just 11 days of cricket—the joint-second-fastest Ashes capitulation in over a century.
Critics have suggested that the Noosa break, combined with England’s lacklustre preparation and repeated on-field collapses, reflects a touring party that has lost focus and discipline. The Ben Duckett video has become a lightning rod for those frustrations, with many questioning whether England’s “Bazball” philosophy of aggressive, carefree cricket has spilled over into off-field complacency.
However, Lehmann’s eyewitness account offers a counter-narrative: that the players conducted themselves professionally, engaged positively with the local community, and used the break to recharge mentally and physically rather than indulge recklessly.
What happens next?
The ECB is continuing its investigation into the Duckett video and the broader allegations of excessive drinking. England will resume their Ashes campaign on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where they must win both remaining Tests to salvage pride and avoid a series whitewash.
For now, Darren Lehmann’s defence has injected some balance into a debate that risks overshadowing England’s on-field shortcomings with off-field controversies—though whether his account will shift the narrative in England remains to be seen.