Nottinghamshire’s Ben Duckett has been included in England’s International T20 squad to face Pakistan in a seven-match series in Karachi and Lahore.
The prolific left-hander, who passed 4,000 runs in T20 cricket earlier this month, averages 29.88 over a decade-long career in the format.
In this year’s Vitality Blast, the 27-year-old scored 396 runs, finishing as Notts Outlaws’ top-scorer with a remarkable strike-rate of 160.32. In July, he cracked 86 from 67 deliveries as England Lions beat South Africa in a 50-over fixture at Taunton, and four weeks later amassed 145 against the Proteas in a four-day contest at Canterbury.
In 2021, he amassed 383 Vitality Blast runs at 34.81 for his county, before being named in England’s squad for their One-Day International series against Pakistan and captaining Welsh Fire in The Hundred.
Duckett’s 232 runs in the tournament’s inaugural year made him the second highest run-scorer in the competition. He has added a further 220 hundred-ball format runs at 31.42 in 2022, with only five players in the group stage of the men’s competition contributing more.
The left-hander’s domestic form has seen him picked-up for overseas competitions with increasing frequency, featuring in both the Pakistan Super League and Australia's Big Bash in the winter of 2021/2022, and recently being picked up as a member of the Desert Vipers squad for the inaugural edition of the International League T20 in the UAE later this year.
Duckett’s red-ball form has meanwhile remained impressive, with the former Northamptonshire man averaging 37, 56, 37 and 72 in respective recent seasons.
Meanwhile, Olly Stone, who is set to join Nottinghamshire at the conclusion of the 2022 season, is also included in the touring party to Pakistan.
The seamer is one of five uncapped players to be included, alongside Kent batter Jordan Cox, Middlesex seamer Tom Helm, Surrey right-handed bat Will Jacks, and Lancashire seamer Luke Wood.
England are due to arrive in Pakistan for the first time in 17 years on 14 September – six days ahead of the first match on 20 September.
Karachi will host fixtures on 20, 22, 23 and 25 September, while Lahore will be the venue for the remaining three matches on 28 and 30 September, and 2 October.
England Men's IT20 Squad Tour of Pakistan
Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Captain
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire) Vice-Captain
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Jordan Cox (Kent)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Richard Gleeson (Lancashire)
Tom Helm (Middlesex)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Phil Salt (Lancashire)
Olly Stone (Warwickshire)
Reece Topley (Surrey)
David Willey (Yorkshire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Luke Wood (Lancashire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
*******
The Royal London Cup Final
The timeless pomp, ceremony and tradition of county cricket's historic 50-over final is soon to take place at Trent Bridge.
Lancashire and Kent will go head-to-head in the showpiece finale of the Royal London Cup at our historic home on Saturday 17 September.