BEN DUCKETT has been provisionally suspended by the ECB following an incident in a Perth bar.
The 23-year-old England batsman was due to open the innings against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park today, but will instead face a disciplinary hearing.
With play already underway between the two nations, it was revealed by the England camp that he has been dropped from the side.
The incident is believed to have taken place between Thursday night and Friday morning, after Andrew Strauss agreed to a midnight curfew.
Strauss – the England and Wales Cricket board director – put the curfew in place after the bizarre altercation between Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft, also in a Perth bar.
Duckett is reported to have been socialising on a night out with a number of his Lions team-mates, meeting member of the Ashes squad who had just enjoyed a quiz night at their hotel.
No members of the public are understood to be involved, though the England teams security were present.
It is unclear whether any of Duckett’s colleagues will face any action, with the Northamptonshire wicket-keeper likely to discover his fate in the 24 hours.
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There was no police involvement in the occurrence, with the episode believed to have only been between the players.
He has since been replaced in the side by Joe Clarke.
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The antics comes as the latest embarrassment for English cricket, after Ben Stokes was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm outside a Bristol nightclub back in September.
Following Bairstow’s ‘headbutt greeting’ on Bancroft, Strauss urged his side to be more smarter in how they present themselves.
Speaking back in November, he said: “We need to sharpen up our act.
“The players are adults – intelligent adults – and sometimes they are not using that intelligence in the right way.
“The last thing any of us want is to be in the news for the wrong reasons and I will be reminding the players of their obligations.”
Duckett last featured for England in a test match against India back in November 2016.
In his four test matches, he averages just 15.71 runs, though he did hit 56 in an innings against Bangladesh as England eventually lost by 108 runs.
With just three tests remaining in the Ashes, Australia currently lead 2-0 after claiming victory in Adelaide – winning by 120 runs.
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