Ben Duckett intends to keep putting his hand up for England duty whenever and wherever possible despite fears of player burnout caused by a congested schedule.
Just 48 hours after the conclusion of the one-day international series against Australia, Duckett was on a plane to Multan for England’s three-match Test tour against Pakistan, which gets under way on Monday.
Duckett’s duties as first-choice Test opener take precedence over his involvement in an ODI series in the West Indies, starting on October 31, three days after the scheduled end to the Pakistan trip.
He also seems likely to miss out on the five T20s in the Caribbean which follow the three ODIs, much to his chagrin, with the aim of being fresh for England’s three Tests in New Zealand before Christmas.
“I don’t want to be missing cricket for England,” Duckett told the PA news agency. “I’ve been so close to the white-ball group for a number of years now and it feels like now I’ve got an opportunity.
“I want to take that with both hands and take every opportunity I possibly can. I’m not in a position where I feel like I can miss a series. I know the West Indies is a bit different because it overlaps.
“But if I’m pulling out of series – people argue it could be good for me – in my eyes, that gives someone else an opportunity to go and bat in the position that I bat in and put their name forward.
“I’ve always wanted to play as much as I can and I don’t want to look back on my career in 10 years’ time and say I’ve missed out on 20 or 30 games for England.”
After New Zealand, Duckett heads to the Big Bash League in Australia to play for Melbourne Stars before rejoining England in January for a limited-overs tour of India and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Duckett accepts his can-do outlook with England is somewhat more complicated by becoming a first-time father this summer but he argued the flip side is that it will motivate him in his career even more.
“It probably makes being away from home harder than it was before,” he admitted. “But a slightly different way of looking at it is it drives me more. Every time I do well, that’s going to be for her.
“I’m not just playing for myself any more, I’m playing for her future just as much as mine. I want to have a great career for myself but it’s also now about supporting my daughter.”
Asked if fatherhood has changed him, Duckett said: “I hope I’ve grown up a bit. There is a perspective – good or bad days (on the field), as soon as you get home, you forget about them pretty quickly.”
Duckett ended what has been a life-changing summer with a century against Australia, justifying the decision to promote him to open in ODIs and set the tempo for England as he does at Test level.
He had been without a hundred for England since February – despite four scores in excess of 70 since then, three in Tests and one in ODIs – and Duckett wants to continue his good form in Pakistan.
“It was obviously on my mind and it’s not a bad problem to have when you’re getting 70s and 80s, I’d much rather have that than 20s and 30s,” he said.
“It’s definitely something I really want to focus on. Going to Pakistan, if I get an opportunity to get myself in, try and go really big and put us in a winning position.”
Duckett, speaking in his role as a new brand ambassador for England’s kit suppliers Castore, is set to resume a fruitful opening partnership with Zak Crawley, who missed the Sri Lanka series due to injury.
“I’m really looking forward to going out there with him again,” Duckett added.
“I think (his absence) probably did make me realise the difference in lengths that they have to bowl to us and the amount of pressure he puts on bowlers takes a lot of pressure off me.”
:: Ben Duckett is an athlete for the British performance brand Castore (castore.com)