Jimmy Anderson plays down Ben Duckett drink-pouring incident

Jimmy Anderson has confirmed Ben Duckett poured a drink over him in a "silly but trivial" incident in Perth last Thursday.

Duckett has been fined the maximum allowable amount for an England Lions player, suspended from playing for the rest of their training camp in Australia, and issued with a written warning in respect of his future conduct.

England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker Anderson said players need to be "smarter in the future" following an Ashes tour which has already been under controversy following incidents surrounding Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow.

"The incident with Ben Duckett was not malicious and was a bit of a non-event but we understand that in this climate we have to be smarter in the future," Anderson wrote in The Telegraph.

"The frustrating thing is that what was a pretty silly incident would have gone unnoticed before but now puts an unfair question mark over our culture.

"We have been working really hard and every now and then on a tour like this you need a release."

Anderson defended the work England players do "behind the scenes", revealing the team had visited a terminally-ill fan who cannot attend the series as an example of incidents not reported.

But the 35-year-old admitted Australia will use the latest example of ill-discipline against England in the third Test, which starts on Thursday at the Waca.

"I know Australia will use the Duckett incident as a way of goading us, or taking the mickey," Anderson continued. "Fine.

"It will probably be funnier than what they have spouted at me so far in this series. They jump on anything to have a go at you so I am expecting a bit of lip. I have no problem with that."

(c) Sky News 2017: Jimmy Anderson plays down Ben Duckett drink-pouring incident