Bethell seeks to secure his place at No. 3 in England's Test lineup for the June series against New Zealand despite IPL commitments.
Ben Duckett has emerged as a key player across all formats this winter, prompting discussions about a possible reshuffle in England’s Test batting order for the June series against New Zealand. A move up the order to open the innings has been floated, which could allow England to include James Rew in the middle order if Zak Crawley is dropped—an outcome widely anticipated. His experience in white-ball cricket includes occasional starts at the top of the order.
Speaking on a cricket podcast, Duckett expressed willingness to adapt if needed but emphasized a strong preference for retaining his position at No. 3, where he delivered a standout century in England’s most recent Test at the SCG in January. He drew parallels with Joe Root’s 2013 Ashes move to open the batting, which later allowed Jonny Bairstow to slot into the middle order. Duckett noted, 'I'd love to stay at No. 3, if it was up to me. I really like the position.' 'I don't think there's a massive difference between No. 3 and the top. Someone like Rooty had to start and open the batting and then slid back down to No. 4. If that's what they want me to do, I'd be more than happy to do it, but I like No. 3 and I'd love to cement that spot as mine if possible.'
Despite missing red-ball opportunities early in the English season, Duckett remains confident in his decision to spend the first two months in India with the IPL. He believes the intangible benefits of playing in the tournament outweigh the drawbacks of limited Test match practice. He recalled a lesson from last year when returning from the IPL without enough game time led to underpreparedness for the India Test series.
Duckett highlighted the rigorous scrutiny and high standards of the IPL, where every net session attracts attention from coaches, players, and fans. He argued that the intense environment, even without constant match play, sharpens his skills and prepares him better for future challenges. He explained, 'Every nets session, you've got hundreds of eyes on you, be it your coaches or the other players who are also looking at you, going, 'Is this guy good? Is he not?' You've got the people in the crowd with their phones on. You get exposed to a lot of stuff.'
Duckett shared that a shipment of red Dukes balls, essential for Test match training, is scheduled to arrive shortly to help him prepare for the upcoming series. He plans to integrate red-ball practice alongside his white-ball sessions as England’s first Test against New Zealand approaches on June 4 at Lord’s. He stated, 'My Dukes balls are actually arriving tomorrow. I've got a box coming over from England. I'm planning on ramping up that kind of stuff [up] alongside white-ball training, and I actually think it's a good thing to do in general… I firmly believe that this [being at the IPL] is the right thing for me to be doing right now.'
Duckett acknowledged that teammate Jordan Cox has not featured for his IPL side this season, yet he remains optimistic about his own standing. He noted that being next in line grants ample net time to refine his game, keeping him busy and ready for potential opportunities. He added, 'The beauty of being [the] next batter in line is you get just as much time in the nets as everyone else.' 'I've been keeping myself busy with trying to get better and ready for when the opportunity might come.'