Akash Deep faces ban threat as ICC pressured to punish him for Ben Duckett send-off
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English batter Ben Duckett's former coach issued an ultimatum against Akash Deep, urging the ICC to take strict action against the Indian pacer as a statement against the send-off controversy in the 5th Test at The Oval.
The India vs England Test series has come to an end; after much drama and anticipation, it ended with a 2-2 draw between the two well-deserving teams. However, the controversies and speculations around the series continue to take their toll on the players.
As of here, the controversy has been artificially created between Indian pacer Akash Deep and English opening batsman Ben Duckett. Duckett finished with 462 runs with an average of 51.33 in the series, while Akash Deep also finished with 13 wickets from 3 games.
Duckett's send-off by Akash Deep at The Oval
The incident unfolded during the India vs England final Test at The Oval, which changed the fortunes of India in the series. After the Indians were bowled out for a timid total in the first innings, the English openers Duckett and Crawley seemed to have taken the game far away from the grip of the Indians.
Duckett and Akash Deep were off to an intense battle after Duckett reverse-scooped Akash Deep over the slip cordon for a six, which eventually released the pressure building on England, and then began the onslaught from the English batters.
Several tense moments and conversations were noted between the two players; however, none of them seemed to be heated, as Akash Deep had that broad smile on his face.
However, after Akash dismissed Ben Duckett as the batter edged a ball while looking to place another reverse slog against him, the Indian pacer, after the dismissal, put his arm around the opening batter's shoulders and exchanged a few words.
This has sparked immense buzz on social media; however, the two players have neither expressed frustration over the event nor complained of any disrespectful exchange.
Ben Duckett's coach urges a sanction against Akash Deep
England opener Ben Duckett's childhood coach, James Knott, has not let the matter slip away easily, as he looks to dig deeper and opines that the Indian pacer should be issued a sanction against the send-off to send a message to several other youngsters in the future.
"It was part of a competitive series, but certainly needs a sanction to discourage youngsters. At the same time, it doesn't bother me personally," Knott said to the Times of India.
However, as it seems, the two cricket boards and the two players cited that incident as a competitive spirit of the high-tension contest between the two teams.
Ben Duckett's mindset revealed by former coach
Duckett's childhood coach, having witnessed him since he started off with the game, expressed why it is so tough to bowl to the English opener, and he cited his wide array of shots as the main reason.
"Often people say that he is maybe too laid back, but Duckett is very competitive when he is out in the middle, as you saw during the recent Test series. Shubman Gill told me he enjoyed the challenge when Duckett was at the crease," commented Knott.
"He is short, left-handed, scores square of the wicket, and sweeps both sides in multiple areas. In that sense, Duckett is not only a hard man to bowl at but also very different to a lot of other players out there. Think of Gill, for example, who is a much more orthodox player," he added.
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