09 January 2023 , 09:17
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England opener Ben Duckett enjoyed an impressive return to Test match cricket in Pakistan, having first been axed six years ago after just four games.
Duckett made his Test debut in 2016 at the age of 22, but struggled against Bangladesh and India as he made just 110 runs at an average of 15.71. As a result, he was quickly dropped and not afforded another crack at Test cricket until England's recent 3-0 whitewash over Pakistan in December.
Having been given the nod over Keaton Jennings to partner Zak Crawley at the top of the order, Duckett duly cashed in and ended the series as the second leading run scorer behind Harry Brook. He struck one century and three fifties as he made 357 runs at an average of 71.40
And Duckett will now be afforded every opportunity to nail down his position by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, something which has not been particularly forthcoming under previous regimes.
"For a period, the England team has been a bit of a conveyor belt for opening batsmen, and in my opinion it was because they didn't give them enough chances," Duckett told the Daily Mail. "You have to back your openers.
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"The one thing about the Pakistan tour was that I didn't want to get overly excited because I made the mistake of getting too carried away about being selected when I was younger. This time, I said to myself that I was not going to be happy until I'd actually proved myself at that level.
"Whether I scored runs or not, I was going to stick to my strengths. The last few years have been the most consistent I have ever been. I have probably got to an age where I'm just sticking to what I'm best at."
Duckett has hailed the impact of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Duckett was also full of praise for the way Stokes and McCullum have revolutionised England's Test team by trying to empower the players and remove their fear of failure, claiming that "at times it has felt like we have been playing friendlies".
He added: "The pressure that you have on you before you step on the field is big enough. The leadership group [Stokes and McCullum] realise that and have made it so enjoyable for us.
"The message is, 'We back you, go and play your way.' And at times it has felt like we have been playing friendlies not matches for your country."