England's Ben Duckett Hailed as the New Virender Sehwag: Former Coach's Bold Comparison

Former England cricketer and coach David Lloyd has drawn a parallel between Ben Duckett and the explosive former Indian opener, Virender Sehwag.

Ben Duckett showcases his skills during a Test match.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Lloyd remarked on Duckett's transformation, noting his growth since past incidents. He stated, "Ben Duckett has come a long way since he poured a drink over Jimmy Anderson on an Ashes tour."

Lloyd further emphasized Duckett’s aggressive batting style, stating, "He is now England’s answer to Virender Sehwag and is opening the batting in your World XI. The reverse sweep is such a natural shot for him. He plays it for fun."

He also alluded to Duckett's sporting background, adding, "It’s no surprise to learn he was a good hockey player at school because it’s like a hockey shot."

A clip of Ben Duckett in a press conference.

James Knott, Duckett's former batting coach at Stowe School, shed light on the development of his signature reverse sweep.

Knott told The Times, “I’d seen better technical ability at that age, but he hit the ball very hard and had already begun reverse-sweeping, which he took from hockey."

He added, “We worked on orthodox sweeping and laps, and midway through his time at Stowe, the school acquired a Merlyn spin-bowling machine. In one match, against Brighton College from Australia, Ben went from 100 to 150 entirely through reverse-sweeps."

A video about watching Test cricket in England.

Knott emphasized the importance of nurturing Duckett's aggressive instincts. “Certainly, I didn’t want to take away his attacking flair. And although he had a big hunger for runs, he was not selfish."

He also revealed Duckett's ambition to open the batting, stating, "He wanted to open the batting as school cricket was not going to be much of a challenge if he was coming in at No. 4. That was the best thing to happen to him."

Knott concluded, "I thought he’d have a longer career in the shorter forms of the game and wasn’t sure if he would be successful at Test level, but Ben Stokes and ‘Baz’ McCullum arrived at just the right time for him.”

Duckett's impressive innings of 149 played a crucial role in England's successful chase of 371 runs on the final day of the Leeds Test.