Duckett Prioritizes England Spot by Withdrawing from IPL

Ben Duckett has opted out of the Indian Premier League to focus on retaining his position in the England team. The left-handed batsman experienced a significant decline in form during the winter, managing only one score above fifty in sixteen innings. Following a challenging winter and increased scrutiny over his spot in the Test side, Duckett has decided to withdraw from the IPL, which commences on Saturday. He expressed his desire to play all three formats for England and views this decision as a potential turning point in his career. Duckett will work on his batting alongside Nottinghamshire's head coach, Peter Moores, and has already started training with England's fitness coach, Peter Sims, to prepare for the summer. His decision may render him ineligible for the IPL until 2029 and results in missing out on a substantial payday. England's white-ball captain, Harry Brook, also withdrew from the IPL last year to focus on international cricket. Duckett aims to address the underlying issues in his batting and participate in the County Championship ahead of England's first Test against New Zealand on June 4.