Ben Duckett has had a lively summer.
A spate of LV = Insurance County Championship games preceded participation in one of the most entertaining Ashes series in living memory.
Then, he earned selection in England’s Vitality IT20 squad to face New Zealand before being picked as vice-captain for the Three Lions’ Metro Bank One Day International series versus Ireland, which begins on Wednesday 20 September before visiting Trent Bridge three days later.
Of course, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It has been a crazy summer,” he admits, “But any opportunity you get to stick on an England shirt is a massive privilege, no matter what the circumstances are.”
The Nottinghamshire batter is, at least, now able to take stock of the remarkable Ashes.
The drawn series included 321 runs for Duckett, with a top score of 98 at Lord’s - the same venue at which, 10 weeks earlier, he’d blasted 177 for the Green and Golds against Middlesex.
The upturn in fortunes followed a calmer start, having been dismissed for 12 and 19 in his first two innings.
The ability to back his instincts, and thrive on the big stage, was in no small part thanks to the ultra-positive brand of cricket championed by the leadership group.
“That first game was probably the first time in my career that nerves got the better of me,” he says.
“Once I had got that out of the way, it was much easier. But I didn’t have expectations going into the series because I knew opening the batting in England against the best seam attack in the world was going to be extremely tough.
“In the first Test I nicked off twice to balls on fifth or sixth stump, but to get off the mark at Lord’s, I slashed one over gully, and that’s what Baz [Brendon McCullum] wanted.
“I spoke to him and Tres [Marcus Trescothick] after the game and they just said ‘next time, smack it over them’. That’s the way they want us to play, not go into our shell.
“In the end, obviously we wanted to win but it’ll go down as one of the best series ever, and to say I’ve been a part of that is really special.”
The same adjective was used by Duckett, too, when describing his emotions at having been appointed England vice-captain for the visit of the side from the Emerald Isle.
The announcement followed his inclusion in the England squad to face New Zealand in the 20-over series, but also his omission from the party traveling to the 50-over World Cup in India.
“I am looking forward to this series as much as any cricket this summer; it's an opportunity for me to show what I can do,” Duckett said.
“I wasn’t expecting the vice-captaincy. It is something that I love doing - I embrace any opportunity where I can help out. I haven’t had a lot of opportunities in that regard recently but with Zak [Crawley] captaining, we’ll work well together.
“It is also a chance for me as a leader in the squad to show what I am capable of off the field. Hopefully Motty [Matthew Mott, Head Coach] and the coaches see a different side of me, one which is difficult to show when you are fighting for a spot or not playing.
“Equally, I know the values and what England’s white ball team want to do. I’ll go and express myself to try and bang that door down for when opportunities may arise after the World Cup.”
It’ll also be Duckett’s first time donning the Three Lions at his domestic home.
“It is the game I am looking forward to most, playing in front of my home crowd,” he said, “I was gutted there was no Test there this summer - I know there is next year so hopefully I am still around the fold when that happens.
“Fingers crossed I can enjoy a good ovation from the home crowd, and, on a playing front, I know the dimensions of the ground and what works there, so it is something I am really looking forward to.
“Weirdly, the last time I played at Trent Bridge was in The Hundred [for Birmingham Phoenix] and I was getting changed in the squash courts. It’ll be nice to rock up and sit in my spot again.
“Our bags get sent from ground to ground ahead of time. When I got to Trent Bridge for the New Zealand game, my bag was in my area which was perfect, so if someone tries to sit in my spot I’ll be kicking them out!”
The 28-year-old, who was Nottinghamshire’s second top scorer in the 2022 LV = Insurance County Championship, also admitted it was strange to be watching his side go about their pursuit of red-ball success without direct involvement.
His last appearance for the Green and Golds came in a comprehensive victory for the visitors at the County Ground, Northamptonshire in early May.
“It has been my first season not playing much county cricket, which has been strange,” Duckett said, “I’ve spent plenty of hours on the live stream watching the lads and wishing them the best.
“At times, it has been frustrating that I’ve not been able to contribute and help, but the thing I have to give them credit for is that every time our backs have been against the wall, we’ve stuck in and produced a performance.
“That has been led by Clarkey with the bat who has been superb this year. I remember speaking to him at the start of the year and he was confident he would step up. Losing a batter, you need a senior player to do that, and he has been exceptional.
“We have got two games left and we can still finish around fifth, it’ll be a decent result having come up last year - I’m backing the boys to get points to keep us safe and push us as high up the table as possible.”