.png)
2 hours ago
6
Ben Duckett has pulled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League and now faces a three-year ban from the tournament after deciding he needs county cricket to shore up his place in England’s Test team.
The opener, 31, was signed by Delhi Capitals at the IPL auction in December in a deal worth £200,000 and, with the competition starting this weekend, was due to miss the first two months of the English season.
But a combination of a poor Ashes series – playing all five Tests in the 4-1 defeat for a highest score of 42 – and heavy travel after reserve duties at the recent T20 World Cup has convinced Duckett to turn out for county champions Nottinghamshire instead.
“It was a very difficult decision, and I want to apologise to everyone at Delhi that I won’t be coming,” Duckett told the Telegraph. “I’ve spent a lot of time away from home in different places, and it felt like the best thing for me to do to be ready to play for England is to be here right now, at home, refreshing my mind and body.
“More importantly, play some four-day cricket for Notts, and try to find that form I had last summer. My journey into the Test team has come from county cricket.”
Under IPL rules, players who are signed at the auction and then withdraw for reasons other than an injury are barred from playing in the tournament for three seasons. Duckett follows Harry Brook, who similarly signed for Delhi in 2025 before pulling out to prioritise his England career.
Bruised by the recent Ashes defeat, but having stuck by Brendon McCullum as head coach, England are now under pressure to refresh the side. But it may be that Duckett’s opening partner, Zak Crawley, is the likelier of the two to make way for a newcomer after failing to justify an extended run.
While Duckett’s scores were well below par in Australia – he struggled against Mitchell Starc in particular – he has done well overall since his return to the Test team in 2022, averaging 42 with six centuries.
Duckett does, however, have some ground to claw back after a video of him drunk on a night out during the team’s mid-tour break in Noosa was published on social media before the Boxing Day Test.
He added: “I am sorry for that incident, it was not professional and shouldn’t have happened. There is no hiding away from it.”
Professionalism was only one part of England’s review into the Ashes, with Rob Key, team director, also indicating a desire to reconnect with the first-class counties on selection and scheduling a meeting of cricket directors this week.
Jonny Bairstow, dropped after winning his 100th cap in early 2024, is one of many keen to see what this looks like in practice. Speaking at Yorkshire’s pre-season media day on Tuesday, Bairstow said: “When you say connection, the question you would ask is why have they disconnected in the first place?
“If you are trying to rebuild something, you are admitting you have done something wrong previously. The proof is in the pudding, so we will wait and see. I look forward to hearing a bit more about the review.
“You have got to give people chances. There are a lot of gifted county players.”
