Bazball rescued openly by Ben Duckett after severe questions on England's method

England's opening batter Ben Duckett opened up about criticisms regarding their aggressive approach in the longer format of the game. Ben Duckett highlighted that the England Test team is genuinely committed to winning every match, adding that their entertaining style of play might be misunderstood.

England adopted a fearless approach to Test cricket under Brendon McCullum's coaching. They chased down a massive target of 378 against Team India at Edgbaston in Birmingham during the 2022 summer. The England team has won 14 of their 23 Test matches since Ben Stokes became the full-time captain.

Some People Can Never Be Happy - Ben Duckett

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Ben Duckett said that some people are never satisfied and focus only on negative aspects. Duckett said that their entertaining style might be misinterpreted as a lack of seriousness. He added that every player is committed to winning, but they aim to do so in a more entertaining way.

"In the world we live in, some people can never be happy, and can never make positive comments. They’re always looking to dig and criticize the way anyone plays. The way we play our cricket, with a smile on our faces, gets perceived that we don’t care as much.

"But I can tell you that every single person who walks out on that field is desperate to win. We just want to do it in a slightly more entertaining way. I think we have done that," Duckett said.

The left-handed batter has quickly adapted to his role as an opener. Duckett has formed a strong partnership with Zak Crawley in recent times. He and Crawley have scored 1,475 runs in 35 innings at an average of 43.38.

That's Exactly Why We Do It - Ben Duckett

Ben Duckett said that many kids approached him after the 2023 Ashes series to express their admiration for England's playing style. The opening batter highlighted that the positive feedback from young fans was a key reason behind their approach to the game.

"I remember playing in the Hundred last year straightaway after the Ashes, and so many kids coming up to me saying they’d watched the Ashes and loved how the team was playing. That's exactly why we do it," Ben Duckett added.

In the recent Test series against the West Indies, the opening batter scored 178 runs in five innings at an average of 44.50 and a strike rate of 92.71, with a best score of 76. Overall, the southpaw has amassed 1,642 runs at an average of 41.05 and a strike rate of 85.74, including three centuries and nine fifties.

Duckett will be next seen in action during the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. Ollie Pope will lead the team in the absence of Ben Stokes, who is ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury. The first Test of the upcoming home series will begin on August 21 in Manchester.

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