‘Evolving’ England no longer reckless, says Ben Duckett as their focus is steadily shifting away from entertaining.
Duckett: England evolving from being ‘entertaining, reckless at times’.
According to Ben Duckett, England will begin the Ashes series with little “baggage” and that the team’s aggressive attitude to Test cricket is evolving beyond what has occasionally been seen as irresponsible.
With an average age of 28 compared to the home team’s 33, Duckett is one of 11 players in England’s squad who have not yet played Test cricket in Australia. The local newspaper’s humorous headlines greeted the players in Perth, but according to Duckett, they were welcomed with open arms.
“This group we’ve got, I actually saw the other day I’m the fourth oldest, which was tough to see,” Duckett told the Willow Talk podcast. “So we’ve got quite a fresh group coming here where there’s not a lot of baggage, which I think will help us.”
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “You know how tough it is for touring sides coming over here. I’m not expecting or setting myself any targets. I know I’m opening the batting against probably the best bowling attack in the world in their home conditions.”
Pat Cummins will be absent from that attack for at least the first Test while he recovers from a spinal stress strain. He had another strong workout at the SCG on Tuesday, and there is still hope that he will be available for the second Test.
“You want to play against the best and you don’t want to have guys like that missing out in series like this,” Duckett said. “But on the flip side, I’m an opening batter and he’s probably one of the best bowlers in the world. So yeah, quietly, I hope it’s not too bad but obviously any game where he’s not playing is an advantage for us.”
Much of the pre-series narrative is around how Bazball will go in Australian conditions, but Duckett said that both individually and collectively their approach was becoming more nuanced.
“I think now it’s definitely about reading moments,” he said. “[Brendon McCullum] will come up to me and say, now you’re a better player than just getting 40 off 30 and getting us off to a good start.
“There’s moments as an opening batsman, for example, it could be at Perth in a few weeks where we’ve got five overs to see at the end of the day. And I did it against India last summer where actually just get through it. I don’t care how many runs you’ve got, just be there in the morning.
“I think that’s where we’re trying to go as a team now, it’s not just being this entertaining, reckless at times, side. And it’s something that I’ve got frustrated with myself in the past, where I might have got 80 off 60 and it looks great and stuff, but they’re going to put my side in a good position. So it’s realising moments and doing that and then kicking on and getting a big score. And I think that’s where we’re really wanting to go as a side now.”