England opener Ben Duckett believes the team will begin the Ashes series unburdened by past performances and acknowledged that their aggressive approach to Test cricket is evolving beyond what has sometimes been perceived as reckless. Ben Duckett is one of 11 players in England’s squad who have yet to play Test cricket in Australia, and the team’s average age is 28, compared with 33 for the home side.
The players were greeted in Perth with a series of comical headlines from the local newspapers, but the left-handed batter Ben Duckett said they had received a warm welcome. Since his Test recall in 2022, Ben Duckett has been England’s leading run-scorer among openers. In the 2023 Ashes, he scored 321 runs at an average of 35.66.
Ben Duckett has claimed that England’s Bazball approach is evolving from being reckless and entertaining ahead of the Ashes series. Since Brendon McCullum has taken over as the coach of the England Test team, they have been known for their ultra-aggressive approach, which has seen the side go for wins and not settle for draws.
England have won 25 Tests out of 40 under the Bazball approach, with just two draws. They have a win percentage of 62.5 percent. However, there have been critics of the approach over the years, with Geoffrey Boycott being one of them.Speaking ahead of the Ashes, Ben Duckett said that England will head into the series without any baggage on them.
Ben Duckett believes that England’s Bazball approach evolving from reckless and entertaining ahead of Ashes 2025-26
England opener Ben Duckett dubbed Ben Stokes the ‘most important’ man of their team and said that the all-rounder has been undergoing immense training, something he has never seen the English Test skipper do before. Stokes will lead England in the five-game Ashes series, which begins at the Optus Stadium in Perth on November 21, and Ben Duckett has wished for the all-rounder to remain fit throughout the five games, calling him ‘crucial’ for the team.
“I can only say we’ve been out here for a few days and he’s been in beast mode. He has been running, bowling two spells, batting for two hours. The way he trains and stuff these days is something that I’ve never seen before. He’s obviously probably the most important man on this side when he’s bowling. So hopefully he stays fit for all five tests and he’s bowling in all of them because he’s crucial for us,” Ben Duckett told the Willow Talk podcast.
Ben Duckett thinks England will enter the Ashes without much ‘baggage’ and mentioned that the team’s aggressive style in Test cricket is developing beyond what some have seen as reckless. The opening batter is among the 11 players in England’s squad who haven’t played Test cricket in Australia, with an average age of 28 compared to the home team’s 33. In Perth, the players were met with humorous headlines from the local newspaper, but Ben Duckett noted they received a warm welcome.
“This group we’ve got, I actually saw the other day, I’m the fourth oldest, which was tough to see. So we’ve got quite a fresh group coming here where there’s not a lot of baggage, which I think will help us. I’m looking forward to the challenge. You know how tough it is for touring sides coming over here. I’m not expecting or setting myself any targets. I know I’m opening the batting against probably the best bowling attack in the world in their home conditions,” he added.
Pat Cummins will be absent for the Ashes opener due to his ongoing recovery from a lumbar stress injury. However, there is still hope that he will be fit for the second Test at the Gabba, having gone through an intense training session at the SCG on Tuesday.
“You want to play against the best and you don’t want to have guys like that missing out in series like this. But on the flip side, I’m an opening batter and he’s probably one of the best bowlers in the world. So yeah, quietly, I hope it’s not too bad but obviously any game where he’s not playing is an advantage for us,” he noted.
A central talking point before the series has been how Bazball will adapt to Australian conditions, but Ben Duckett noted that both he and the team are developing a more refined and flexible version of their approach.
Ben Duckett explained that the team’s approach under Brendon McCullum has evolved to focus more on reading the game’s key moments rather than playing with blind aggression. He said McCullum encourages him to recognise when the situation calls for restraint — for example, surviving a tricky spell late in the day rather than going for quick runs — highlighting that maturity and awareness are now as important as intent.
“I think now it’s definitely about reading moments. (Brendon McCullum) will come up to me and say, now you’re a better player than just getting 40 off 30 and getting us off to a good start. There’s moments as an opening batsman, for example, it could be at Perth in a few weeks where we’ve got five overs to see at the end of the day. And I did it against India last summer where actually just get through it. I don’t care how many runs you’ve got, just be there in the morning,” he stated.
He also added that the team aims to move beyond being seen as merely entertaining or reckless. Reflecting on his own experiences, Duckett admitted frustration at scoring quick, eye-catching innings that didn’t necessarily help the team’s position. The new mindset, he said, is about balancing positivity with game awareness — knowing when to attack and when to consolidate — to turn good starts into meaningful, match-shaping scores.
“I think that’s where we’re trying to go as a team now, it’s not just being this entertaining, reckless at times, side. And it’s something that I’ve got frustrated with myself in the past, where I might have got 80 off 60 and it looks great and stuff, but they’re going to put my side in a good position. So it’s realising moments and doing that and then kicking on and getting a big score. And I think that’s where we’re really wanting to go as a side now,” he concluded.
England and Australia will start the Ashes this year with the first match in Perth starting on November 21.
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