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Following India’s 434-run victory against England in the third Test at Rajkot, England‘s peculiar ‘Bazball’ approach has been heavily scrutinized by fans and former cricketers alike. As the spotlight shifted to Indian young dynamo Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose ability to score a huge chunk of runs that too with rapid pace, has taken everyone by storm, former England cricketer Nasser Hussain slammed England batter Ben Duckett, over-crediting the visitors’ dynamic approach behind the Indian juggernaut’s performance.
Ben Duckett’s attention grabbing comment
It all started during the red-ball battle in Rajkot when Duckett made a peculiar remark over Indian batters, Yashavi in particular, accrediting England’s ‘Bazball’ as the driving source behind their rampant batting display. It is worth noting that Duckett played a stellar knock of 153 runs in the first innings and succumbed to an unfortunate run-out in the second Innings at a mere score of four runs.
“When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they’re playing differently than how other people play Test cricket,” Duckett said while talking to the press.
Nasser Hussain on Ben Duckett’s remarks
Hussain straightly dismisses Duckett’s assertion that Yashasvi learned from England’s Bazball approach, mentioning that the left-handed batter’s accomplishments are attributed to his upbringing, dedication, and experiences in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former England skipper viciously countered the notion, suggesting there may be more to learn from the 22-year-old’s journey than vice versa.
“The comment on Jaiswal that he has learned from us, I am going to touch on that. He has not learned from you, he has learned from his upbringing and all the hard yards he has put in while growing up, he has learned from the IPL. If anything, I would look at him and learn from him,” Hussain said while speaking to Michael Atherton on the Sky Sports podcast.
Also READ: ‘Four-word’ praise from Rohit Sharma for Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel after India’s victory in Rajkot Test
Hussain on Bazball
Hussain questioned England cricketers’ public statements and urged players to self-considerate. He emphasized the importance of learning and improvement, expressing concerns about potential cult-like attitudes, possibly referencing the Bazball approach. Furthermore, the latter shed light on the need for constructive criticism within the team for ongoing growth and development.
“So, whatever they are saying in public and in that dressing room, I hope they are going back into their room with self-introspection. I can look at that lad and learn from him. Otherwise, it becomes a cult, doesn’t it? At times, Bazball has been described as a cult where you cannot criticize either within or externally. Even in this regime, there is room for learning and improving,” the 55-year-old added.