Former England cricketer Sir Geoffrey Boycott has stated that Ben Duckett is no Viv Richards. Boycott observed how the left-hander tries to play like Richards by smacking the ball all around the park but claimed that Duckett isn't that special.

Duckett has shown plenty of promise at the top of the order since replacing Alex Lees at the top of the order. The Nottinghamshire batter averages 42.09 in 46 innings as an opener, scoring 1,810 runs, with three centuries to his name.

In his column for The Telegraph, Boycott suggested that Duckett's style is similar to that of Brendon McCullum, laced with unbelievable shots while also finding strange ways to get out. He elaborated:

"Ben Duckett is a perfect example of the McCullum style. When he gets runs it is rat-a-tat-tat, shot a ball. There are great shots interspersed with slogs, pulls and sweeps. Other times he gets himself out with daft shots that you can’t believe he has tried. He attempts to play like a left-handed Viv Richards dismissing bowlers to all parts of the ground. Viv was special, Ben isn’t," wrote Boycott.

Duckett failed to get a century in the Test series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka this season. The 29-year-old managed three half-centuries with a best of 86 against Sri Lanka at The Oval coming in a losing cause.

The 83-year-old pointed out that Harry Brook must find ways to improvise after an underwhelming summer as teams will try to dismiss him by bowling in the channel. Boycott elaborated:

Brook, who missed the entire India tour earlier this year, struck two fifties and a century this summer. He made four promising thirty-plus scores but failed to convert these into substantial knocks.

Boycott, who has been a strong critic of the 'Bazball' culture, believes that the current England team is losing too many wickets cheaply by getting carried away with the aggressive approach. The former opener believes that the team should adopt a more balanced approach and play like Joe Root who doesn't get out recklessly.

“Bazball culture is exciting but unless England’s batsmen play more like Joe Root they will keep giving away cheap wickets,” Boycott wrote in his column.

He added that England are giving away cheap wickets because they are “gung ho” with their batting approach and they are suffering from the “gambler’s curse”.

The 83-year-old also praised the impact Brendon McCullum has had on the England team, stating that he has freed up the players’ minds and asked them to express themselves. However, Boycott believes that McCullum's approach comes with its own risks and that the team needs to learn how to manage those risks.

While Boycott has been critical of the 'Bazball' culture, he has also praised Joe Root for adapting to the new approach. Root has been one of the most successful batsmen in the team since McCullum took over as head coach and Boycott believes that Root's ability to adapt is a sign that the other players can do the same.

“What is curious is if Root can adapt his batting then why can’t the others do the same, or is Root exempt from Bazball because he is too important to drop?” Boycott questioned.

The former England captain believes that the team needs to find a balance between attack and defense if they want to be successful in the long run. He believes that the team cannot afford to keep giving away cheap wickets and that they need to learn how to play smart cricket.

England’s next assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Australia, which begins on September 11.

The 'Bazball' culture is here to stay, at least for now, but the question remains - will it bring success or will England continue to lose cheaply? Only time will tell.