Duckett suspended for drunken misdeed

Ben Duckett has been fined the "maximum allowable amount for an England Lions player" and put on a final warning after pouring a drink on the head of Jimmy Anderson.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have made it clear Duckett's career is at the crossroads in a "final written warning in respect of his conduct as an England player".

Duckett was fined $2700 and will sit out the England Lions' remaining fixtures on their Australian tour.

The top-order batsman will stay in Perth to run drinks for England Lions until their Australian trip ends on Sunday.

The 23-year-old, who has played four Tests and was convicted of drink-driving in 2015, was set to feature in a tour game involving Ashes squad members in Perth.

He was stood down from that match as the ECB investigated the incident that occurred at a Perth bar during the early hours of Friday morning.

Ben Stokes, Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett and Jake Ball have also been pulled up by the ECB for their booze-related lack of professionalism in recent months.

But at this stage, none of their punishments have been as severe as that dished out to Duckett.

The ECB won't settle on a sanction for Stokes until UK prosecutors announce whether they will charge the vice-captain over his part in a Bristol brawl.

Bairstow was fined for "professional misconduct" when he and other players were drinking in Bristol the night of Stokes' stoush, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing after it emerged he headbutted Cameron Bancroft during England's first night on tour in Australia.

The Duckett-Anderson drama unfolded the first night after ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss agreed to a temporary relaxing of a midnight curfew, which was imposed two weeks ago as a result of the Bairstow headbutt.

The timing of the saga is far from ideal with the third Ashes Test starting on Thursday. England will relinquish the urn if they lose the WACA clash.

Incredulous coach Trevor Bayliss is seething about the sideshow that former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has branded a "f***ing embarrassment".

"We might have to review who is in the team. Blokes can't keep making the same mistake. Some guys have got to pull their heads in," Bayliss said.

Moeen Ali also expressed his disappointment on the weekend.

"It's important we inspire the younger generation to take up the game. These kind of things possibly can turn them away and that's not what we want," Moeen said.

"We're all grown men and we should know how to behave. Off-field behaviour needs to improve and we all know that."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21