Former England star Kevin Pietersen did not hold back in his criticism of Ben Duckett after the England opener dismissed the ongoing ODI series against India as insignificant compared to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. The Three Lions have a scheduled trip to the subcontinent for the first three months of 2025. They first played a five-match T20I series against India, losing 4-1 before gearing up with a three-game IND vs ENG ODI tussle. However, Duckett denied the idea to entertain the white-ball tour to India.
IND vs ENG: Ben Duckett doesn’t care losing India 0-3
Speaking to Sky Sports following England’s second consecutive defeat in Cuttack, Duckett claimed he would be unbothered by a 3-0 series loss if England could triumph in the Champions Trophy. “We have come here for one thing, and that is to win the Champions Trophy. We still believe we can do that. Certain players are finding their feet and a bit of form. This is a massive series, but the Champions Trophy is the big competition. If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final in the Champions Trophy. No one will probably look back on this series if we go and do the business in that competition.“
Duckett’s excerpts of not taking the series seriously also mirrored their intensity of preparations. The Jos Buttler-led side didn’t bother to have a net session during the entire ODI series. With Joe Root being the only exception, no other English batter had a single net session. As a result, they have been quite listless facing the spin challenge of India.
IND vs ENG: Kevin Pietersen slams Duckett
Goodness me, it’s pretty poor that Duckett would say that he doesn’t care if England lose today and lose 3-0 to India.
— Kevin Pietersen
Context is important when reading quotes, but those words should NOT have been said!
NEVER!(@KP24) February 12, 2025
Pietersen, known for his fiery opinions, lashed out at the comments. “Goodness me, it’s pretty poor that Duckett would say he doesn’t care if England lose today and lose 3-0 to India. Context is important when reading quotes, but those words should NOT have been said! NEVER!” he posted on X. England have been struggling on this tour, already trailing 0-2 after defeats in Nagpur and Cuttack. The poor run follows a 4-1 thrashing in the preceding T20I series, raising serious questions about England’s form heading into a major ICC event.
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