Latest news with #EddieJack
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rookie teen Eddie Jack thanks Andrew Flintoff after getting the call to join England's Test squad
Eddie Jack will venture into the Headingley nets next Tuesday after following his daily ritual. 'I'm a big routine guy, especially when I go away from home. Going all around the country, all over the world, staying in different hotels, I've got a little check list,' he tells Mail Sport. 'I try to do all sorts of stuff first thing before I look at my phone. I wake up, read my Bible, make my bed, shower… and then I can start the day properly. If I control the beginning and the end of the day, then what happens in the middle takes care of itself.' It is for the stuff that happens in the middle period that England have invited a teenager yet to make a County Championship appearance to join their first Test squad in Leeds. You will be forgiven for not having heard of Jack, a hulking fast bowler enjoying a remark-ably rapid rise in his first year as a professional with Hampshire. It is only a fortnight since he made his first-class debut, but his cause has been championed by the increasingly influential England Lions coach, Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff, flanked by bowling coach Neil Killeen, broke the news on Monday — ahead of the final day's play of the draw against India A at Northampton — that he would be joining up with Ben Stokes 's team ahead of the first of five Tests against India. 'I think the plan is just to get to know those guys, see the environment, train with them,' Jack says. 'Testing myself against Joe Root and Harry Brook will be a huge privilege. It's an opportunity to show them what I'm about, provide me with a bit of exposure, but I don't think there's much intention of me playing.' Under this regime, however, a wildcard selection cannot be completely ruled out. As they showed last summer with Josh Hull, or with Rehan Ahmed previously, they are not averse to picking either raw pace bowlers or teenagers. And, if the ankle twist Josh Tongue suffered last week has caused more damage than anticipated, he would be a like-for-like replacement as someone who swings the new ball at a pace closer to 90 miles per hour than 80 and is prepared to thud the pitch halfway down when it goes softer. Jack will not be over-awed by such a prospect. At 6ft 4in, he is physically imposing, but the greatest strength of the middle son of a Dorset school chaplain is his faith. 'It's a massive part of my identity, and it helps me hugely in my sport as well, keeping me grounded when things are going well and not too despondent when they're going badly,' he explains. 'Some of my idols, like Eric Liddell, have been famous for not competing on a Sunday, but I think each Christian has their own interpretation and, for me, it's part of my job, so I do my job on a Sunday and try to get some time with the Lord on other days.' Jack has known Flintoff since 2023, when the former television presenter returned to cricket following his horrific Top Gear crash by coaching England Under-19s. So it was a pleasant surprise last month when Jack was told during an unofficial match for a County XI against Zimbabwe in which he claimed five wickets: 'There's something different about you.' Jack explains: 'I'd clearly gone up in his estimation a bit. Fred's such a good coach. He's got so many iconic moments: that over to Ricky Ponting in the Ashes, another over to Jacques Kallis, things that you try to emulate. To have him singing your praises and egging you on is so encouraging. Coming from him, it carries that little bit extra gravitas.' Jack was born on the second day of the historic Oval finale to the 2005 Ashes — one of three Tests in which Flintoff claimed five wickets. Flintoff's mentoring, including the parroting of a Brendon McCullum phrase — 'To be where your feet are' — was influential during two matches against the Indian second string that saw the 19-year-old dismiss both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. Jack says: 'I've found that really helpful. If you find yourself bowling at Jaiswal, it's no good thinking, "Oh my goodness, he was hitting such and such into the stands last year". I'm like, "I've got the ball in my hand, he's at the other end, let's try to get him out." 'It's something (former All Black) Dan Carter spoke about. If he missed an easy kick, he just kicked the ground. Digging your toes into the turf is quite a good way of being where your feet are because, suddenly, they're what you're thinking about. Grounding yourself, getting back in the zone. I copy him, having a little kick of the turf at the top of my mark.'
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
India vs England: From Lions to Lord's? Teen pacer joins England squad after KL Rahul scalp
Eddie Jack (X Photo) Teenage fast bowler Eddie Jack has been drafted in as a practice option with the senior England team ahead of the opening Test against India at Headingley, starting June 20, following an eye-catching display for the England Lions against India A. The 19-year-old Hampshire pacer, standing 6-foot-4 tall, turned heads during the second unofficial Test in Northampton by removing century-maker KL Rahul and regularly troubling India's top-order. Jack finished with figures of 2/71 in the second innings, also claiming the wicket of Dhruv Jurel — one of India's rising stars. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! According to The Times, Jack 'impressed' the England Lions' coaching group, which includes Andrew Flintoff, Mark Wood and Graeme Swann. Though yet to debut in the County Championship, Jack has shown maturity beyond his years in two first-class games against India A and with a five-wicket haul in a recent warm-up match against Zimbabwe. Poll How do you feel about Eddie Jack's inclusion in the senior England team ahead of the Test series against India? Excited about his potential Skeptical about his experience Indifferent Supportive but cautious His inclusion in England's practice setup comes at a critical juncture, with injuries depleting the hosts' pace resources. Jofra Archer is unavailable for the first Test, Mark Wood is out for the summer, and Gus Atkinson is nursing a hamstring injury. While veteran Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also featured against India A, Jack's presence adds depth and raw pace to England's fast-bowling mix. The five-match Test series will mark the beginning of a new WTC cycle and a fresh chapter in Indian cricket, with Shubman Gill stepping in as captain following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy England squad for first Test against India Ben Stokes (Captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Who Is Eddie Jack? The English teenager invited to train with England Test Team ahead of India series
England's preparations for their five-Test home series against India have taken an intriguing turn with the inclusion of teenage fast bowler Eddie Jack in their training group ahead of the opening match at Headingley on June 20. The upcoming series also marks a new era for Indian cricket under Shubman Gill, who takes over as Test captain following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India, who last won a Test series in England in 2007, are seeking a historic breakthrough. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Get Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro at a low price Medvi Get Offer Undo Who is Eddie Jack? At just 19, the Hampshire seamer has been invited to practice with the senior team following a string of eye-catching performances for England Lions against India A. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-4, Jack has turned heads within the England setup, including among former international stars like Andrew Flintoff, Mark Wood, and Graeme Swann, now part of the Lions coaching group. Live Events According to The Times, his raw pace and ability to trouble established batters have drawn attention in the wake of England's mounting injury concerns in the fast bowling department. Jack's standout moment came in the second unofficial Test against India A in Northampton, where he dismissed KL Rahul, who had earlier scored a century. He also accounted for Dhruv Jurel, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter who was the Player of the Match during the Ranchi Test in England's last tour to India. Jack finished with figures of 2/71 and consistently beat the bat of India's top order, including Nitish Reddy. Remarkably, Jack is yet to debut in the County Championship for Hampshire, but he has already shown promise in the longer format, having played two first-class matches, both against India A, and representing England U-19s in South Africa earlier this year. He also grabbed five wickets in a warm-up match against Zimbabwe last month, playing for a combined counties XI. His rapid rise comes at a time when England's pace resources are stretched thin. Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the opening Test, Mark Wood will miss the entire summer due to injury, and Gus Atkinson is recovering from a hamstring strain. With Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also in the mix: Woakes having taken five wickets against India A and Tongue likely to feature in the Headingley XI, Jack's invitation is seen as both a reward for potential and a nod to future planning.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
We can't take our eyes off the ball against Zimbabwe – England's Harry Brook
Harry Brook has urged England not to take it easy against the underdogs of Zimbabwe, insisting 'we can't take our eyes off the ball'. The international season gets under way at Trent Bridge on Thursday, with England's first Test against the southern Africans in 22 years. Expectations of a possible mismatch were only increased over the weekend as the tourists suffered a morale-busting 138-run defeat to an inexperienced county select XI at Grace Road. Seventeen-year-old Thomas Rew, younger brother of new England call-up James, hit an unbeaten century in Leicester and 19-year-old Eddie Jack took five wickets as Zimbabwe crumbled against two youngsters who have yet to make their first-class debuts. England will be backed to pull off a resounding win of their own but Brook is on guard against complacency. 'We can't take our eyes off the ball but we want to go out there and win well, like we want to go and do in every game we play,' he told the PA news agency. 'I'm sure they are going to come out all guns blazing. They beat Bangladesh recently (a first Test victory in four years) and they'll be feeling good about that so I'm guessing they are going to come hard at us. 'Hopefully our skills are better than theirs and we get the win. We want a good surface, to spend some good time in the middle as batters and then let the bowlers do what they do and grab some wickets.' Despite Brook's caution, fans appear confident in England's ability to finish things off in rapid fashion. Already slated as a four-day Test, fans have been reluctant to buy in advance for Sunday's final day. As of Monday morning nearly 10,500 seats were still available in the 17,500-capacity stadium, despite most adult tickets costing a modest £25. Sales for the first three days have been stronger, with around 2,700 still on sale for day one, 1,200 for day two and around 1,000 for Saturday's action. The match sees Zimbabwe return to English soil for the first time since 2003, a series that marked the debut of a fresh-faced James Anderson. He spent the next two decades collecting a historic haul of 704 Test scalps, retiring last summer before getting the chance to bookend his career against the same opponents. 'I know we haven't played them since Jimmy's first series, he's told us all about it,' said Brook. 'They must have been waiting for Jimmy to retire to come back…I don't blame them.' For Brook, the match is a final appearance before the start of his tenure as white-ball captain. He begins his reign against the West Indies at the end of this month having succeeded Jos Buttler and has already been giving some thought to the need for a deputy. As a first-choice player in all three formats, and with huge Test assignments against India and Australia coming up, Brook is likely to need an able lieutenant who can not only assist him but take over should he need to miss certain series. 'I think there will be a vice-captain in place soon. We haven't come to a conclusion on who that will be yet. There's a few names in the hat,' he said. 'I'll have a few conversations with Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) and see what he thinks. There's so many experienced people who can help already, the likes of Joe Root and Jos, but so much young talent coming in too that can lead from the front. There's so many to pick from. 'The captaincy is going to be a challenge for me but it's something I've got to take in my stride. I'll need to come up with a plan but I'm okay with that, I like challenges.'
