Professionalism is something you learn from those around you.

If you keep having problems with it - say, for example, Ben Duckett - that says a lot about you. And it may not be pleasant.

Today's piece on BBC Sport about the Ashes losing opening batter highlights that.

Duckett is 31 now and should be at the peak of his powers. But he seems to have a problem.

December 2017: Duckett, then a Lions player, pours beer over senior England professional James Anderson. Gets dropped pending a disciplinary investigation.

December 2025: A social media video of an allegedly drunk Duckett goes viral. ECB investigates and claims the usual "we expect the highest standards" guff.

Now he comes out with some kind of mea culpa saying that professionalism will be a "major priority" for him.

It should never have not been a priority. Duckett has been coached by some of the finest people in the game.

The Lions coach in 2017 was Andy Flower. If anyone could be called an ultimate professional in their sport then Andy Flower is that man where cricket is concerned.

Trevor Bayliss was coach of the England test side when Duckett dowsed the future Sir James Anderson.

His county side, Nottinghamshire, is coached by one of the finest domestic coaches there has ever been, Peter Moores.

There are three people with huge life experiences. If you can't learn professionalism from them then you ain't going to learn it at all. Sure ain't learning it from Bazball.

Duckett's stats are decent enough (though they were better before the Ashes series). Test batting average of just under 40, first class average of 42, List A average of 39.

If Duckett keeps off the booze and away from it and does the hard work I'd expect of an international cricketer, he should be able to push those averages higher.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cp38jx4n7zyo

#Cricket #EnglandCricket #Ashes #Bazball