New Delhi, Sep 24 England all-rounder Will Jacks believes that the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum instils a fearless mindset in the squad, making players feel they can take on anyone in the world.
Jacks, who has played just two Tests for England so far, during their 2022 tour of Pakistan, and taken six wickets, earned a surprise recall to the squad for this year’s five-match Ashes series in Australia. Besides batting, Jacks will also be handling the spin bowling department alongside specialist off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Jack received the nod for the Ashes ahead of players like Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach. "The leadership group make you feel like you can take anyone on. For someone who comes into the team making your debut, that builds you up quickly and makes you feel like you belong there straight away. He (Stokes) leads with his own actions, which makes him really easy to follow. He would never ask you do something he's not willing to do," said Jacks to BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old has taken only five wickets in 74.1 overs in first-class cricket this year, though he is more regularly involved in England’s limited-overs teams. Jacks, however, will miss England’s preceding white-ball tour to New Zealand after breaking a finger on his left hand while fielding in the series against South Africa earlier this month.
"Baz (McCullum) called me, had a casual chat then just dropped it in, and it took me completely by surprise - definitely brightened up my morning. I'm happy to play whatever role the team needs. That's what I have been doing in the white-ball team. It was great to be involved with the Test side and how Stokes led the team. So I am looking forward to being a part of it again," he added.
The five-match Ashes series will commence with the first Test in Perth from November 21-25. The second Test, a day-night match, is scheduled to take place from December 4-8 in Brisbane.
Adelaide will host the third Test from December 17-21, followed by the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30 . The series will conclude with the fifth and final Test in Sydney, scheduled to take place from January 4-8, 2026.
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