After the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia batter Travis Head confirmed that he personally contacted England opener Ben Duckett following criticism around England’s mid-series trip to Noosa. The matter came to light after a video showing Duckett in an inebriated state surfaced on social media, leading to an investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Head said it was unfortunate that the video went public and that Duckett had to face heavy criticism right before the Melbourne Test. England, however, managed to put the off-field noise behind them and went on to win the match by four wickets inside two days.

The Australian batter pointed out that modern-day cricketers live under constant public attention and should be allowed some privacy, especially during long and demanding overseas tours. He felt that such moments should not be blown out of proportion.

Head Defends Players’ Right to Personal Time

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, Head said, “Yeah, stiff. I think from one of his own as well. I reckon it was an English fan as well, which is a bit stiff. Yeah, I get along with Ducky well. I reached out to him to see if he was going alright. Everyone's still human, everyone's still people. What you do in your personal time is up to you.”

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He further added, “I know we live a high-profile life, and some people are more high-profile than others and get themselves in situations. At the end of the day, it's a bit stiff, but I don't think there's any real issue with it since that's something to talk about. As I said, when there are big gaps in tests, you've got to find something to talk about. Hopefully, we can play a bit longer next week and have less stuff to talk about.”

Head, who has already scored two centuries in the ongoing Ashes, also said he had no problem with England taking a short break during the tour. “Everyone else has made a lot more out of it, I think, than what it should have been. We've done the same thing. I spoke about it a couple of weeks ago. We've done the same thing on past tours, so I didn't have an issue with it,” he said.