Ben Duckett has said England’s humbling experiences in India and at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan “hurt me so much” and that he hopes they can make amends this summer.
England have lost 10 out of 11 white-ball matches since the turn of the year, including all three at the Champions Trophy to finish bottom of their group, triggering the resignation of Jos Buttler as captain.
As England’s approach came under scrutiny, Duckett raised eyebrows during a 3-0 one-day international series clean sweep by India when he claimed: “I do not care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy.”
The managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, accepted England players occasionally speak “rubbish” to avoid upsetting the dressing room and Duckett was adamant that results do matter to them.
“All we want to do is win,” the opener said. “If you were to put a camera in the dressing room after every single loss in India and at the Champions Trophy, you’d see a group of lads who were distraught.
“I think sometimes the way we play and stuff might look like we don’t care, but there’s a lot that goes into it behind the scenes with Baz [the head coach Brendon McCullum] and the coaches. There’s so much more to it and moving forward now, it might look a little bit different. I don’t think the way that we’ll play will be different but we want to win games.
“For me, those two months in India and Pakistan, they hurt me so much. I want to win everything, I do. We’ve got an opportunity to put it right and have a really good summer and win lots of games.”
Quick GuideFormer Bangladesh captain has cardiac arrest
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The former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal is receiving emergency hospital care after suffering a cardiac arrest during a domestic T20 game in Dhaka.
The 36-year-old opener, his country’s record ODI run-scorer, was captaining Mohammedan Sporting club in their Dhaka Premier League fixture against Shinepukur when he complained of chest pains after taking the field.
A statement from the Bangladesh Cricket Board read: “Tamim Iqbal Khan suffered a cardiac arrest this morning at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP).
“Tamim received immediate emergency medical treatment after being transferred to the nearby KPJ Specialized Hospital, where he underwent a successful angiogram procedure to address a blockage in one of the arteries of his heart. He is currently under close observation at the hospital’s coronary care unit.”
The BCB president, Faruque Ahmed, who has reportedly visited the batter in hospital after cancelling a board meeting, said: “We are very thankful to all the medics and specialists for their swift actions in this critical situation. The outpouring of concern for Tamim reflects how much he is loved and appreciated by the nation.
“The BCB is closely monitoring his health and continues to remain in contact with the hospital’s medical team. The board is committed to providing every support and assistance to ensure Tamim’s swift recovery.”
After a hectic past 12 months in all formats, Duckett is set to miss the early part of the County Championship with a view to be firing on all cylinders for a five-Test series against India.
“Nothing’s set in stone at the minute,” Duckett said. “It’s always a slightly tricky place to be because where I’m at in my career is a big thanks to Nottinghamshire. You always want to repay them.
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“I’ve had a coffee with [the head coach Peter] Moores and made a plan. He gets it – I haven’t stopped for a while and I think my body was hanging on at the Champions Trophy. I want to be raring to go come that first Test against India and to be in a very good head space for that.”
Duckett has temporarily deleted his X account after his comments about a possible battle with the India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah were recycled and misinterpreted on the social media platform.
“If you ask me about Jasprit Bumrah, I’d say, right now, he’s probably the toughest bowler to face in the world,” Duckett said on Monday at Nottinghamshire’s media day.
“It’s been an interesting week but I think for me, right now, being off Twitter is the right thing for me and it’s a lot easier life being off Twitter.”
