Cricket
Ben Duckett Backs Ben Stokes for White-Ball Return: “Any England Team with Stokesy Is Stronger”
Ben Duckett supports a white-ball return for Ben Stokes, lauding his impact on the England squad. As Brendon McCullum prepares to lead England in all formats, Stokes hints at a possible comeback, adding strength and balance to the lineup
Image Credits: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Ben Duckett would love to see Test Captain Ben Stokes return to England’s white-ball set-up.
Test coach Brendon McCullum will take the reins of the shorter formats in the New Year and has extended his contract, originally due to run out at the end of next winter’s Ashes tour, to the 50-over World Cup in 2027.
Talismanic all-rounder Stokes was famously at the forefront of England’s World Cup triumphs in recent years.
Both were single-handed herculean heroics from the Durham superstar. First, the brilliant innings against New Zealand in the epic 50-over final in 2019 before he steered his country to victory in the 2022 T20 showpiece.
Stokes, who hasn’t played white-ball international cricket in a year, opened the door to a sensational return at the Champions Trophy if McCullum came calling, and he teased reporters during the recent Test series in Pakistan as he replied “wait and see” when prodded about returning to the country for the tournament in February.
Opener Duckett told SportsBoom.com:
I’d be very surprised if Baz didn’t message him after Stokesy’s said that!
Ben Duckett
“Any England team with Stokesy in it is a better team.”
“You realise when he’s not playing how valuable he is. If Stokesy’s in that team you feel like you’ve got an extra player.”
“The balance he adds to a side is immense.”
Stokes’ return would be a major boost for the squad heading into the tournament.
With many of the dual-format stars rested for the upcoming Test series in New Zealand, a severely weakened England were beaten by the West Indies in the 50-over leg of their current white-ball tour.
Interim coach Marcus Trescothick pleaded for “patience” after England were thrashed by eight wickets in the decider.
Duckett, who missed the trip to the Caribbean, made the most of his chance at the top of the order during the summer series against Australia where he bludgeoned a hundred and two fifties in the five-game outing.
I was really happy to be given that opportunity at the top of the order.
Ben Duckett
“It's something I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to open the batting in one-day cricket.”
“I actually came to terms with the fact I probably wasn't going to open and then I was given that opportunity.”
“I can kind of bat with the same tempo as I do in Test cricket. There's so much time in a 50-over game.”
“I haven't played loads in the last few years and it's about finding that rhythm and really stamping my authority on that team. It's something I want to do for a while.”
“In Test cricket there are plenty of gaps at the top of the order and that's the same in the 50-over stuff. I look to be positive.”
“Even when I go from T20 to Test stuff, the template in the way I play is fairly similar. It's a see ball, hit ball mentality.”
Ben Duckett is an athlete for the British performance brand Castore (castore.com)
Shane is a respected journalist who has covered a range of sports for a number of years.