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England’s stylish batsman Ben Duckett has finally addressed the backlash from his comments about India’s rising star, Yashasvi Jaiswal, during the Test series earlier this year.
Duckett’s remarks, which seemed to downplay Jaiswal’s impressive century in the Rajkot Test, led to a wave of criticism from Indian fans and cricketing legends alike. His comment, suggesting that England’s aggressive style had inspired India’s approach, was seen as an attempt to overshadow Jaiswal’s achievement.
Ben Duckett addresses backlash regarding his comments about Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Duckett’s comment, made in the heat of competition, was meant to highlight the impact of England’s aggressive style under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. However, it quickly backfired, with Indian fans perceiving it as an arrogant attempt to overshadow the talent and effort of their players, particularly Jaiswal.
The backlash was intense, with social media exploding with criticism and former England captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton also condemning Duckett’s ill-timed remarks. Now, Duckett has addressed the controversy, clarifying that his comments were meant to commend Jaiswal and the Indian team, not to diminish their achievements.
It was actually me paying him a nice compliment: Duckett on Jaiswal
Ben Duckett said to Daily Mail: “It was actually me paying him a nice compliment. I’m pretty sure I said he was a world-class player, but no one spoke about that. Would I have said what I did during the fifth test? No, because he played like that throughout the whole series, and he was incredible.”
Since Brendon McCullum assumed the role of head coach, England has experienced only one series defeat in Test cricket and is now focused on securing a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. While India has qualified for the WTC final on both previous occasions, England has yet to make it to the finals.
The England Test team is preparing for a home series against Sri Lanka, with the first Test scheduled to begin at Old Trafford in Manchester on August 21. The second Test will take place at Lord’s on August 29, and the series will conclude with the third Test at The Oval in Kennington on September 6.
