Will Jacks a contender for England's Test squad in Pakistan in December due to ability to bowl off-spin; Surrey star made white-ball debut against same opposition last month; Ben Duckett eyeing red-ball return, says "my game is suited for that squad of players"
Thursday 6 October 2022 22:08, UK
Surrey's Will Jacks is hoping to earn a call up to England's Test squad for the series in Pakistan in December after making his white-ball debut against the same opposition last month.
Jacks smashed eight fours in a 22-ball 40 as he made his England bow in game three of a seven-match T20I series his country went on to win 4-3 ahead of the T20 World Cup.
England will return to Pakistan for three Tests later this year and Jacks believes his ability to bowl off-spin should help his case for selection.
Fellow off-spinner Moeen Ali has recently confirmed that he will not pursue a Test comeback and Jacks has been suggested as a slow-bowling option to support senior spinner Jack Leach.
Speaking to Sky Sports at Thursday's PCA Awards in London, Jacks said: "Representing England in Test cricket is probably the greatest honour you can have as a cricketer.
"It's something I really want to do and something I have dreamed of. I just spent time in Pakistan and got used to conditions over there so I would love to go back in the Test squad in December.
"Hopefully I made a good impression and will get more opportunities going forward as I loved every second of it. I did okay on my debut and that was an experience I will never forget.
"I am very keen to progress my off-spin. It is something I have worked on in the last year and something I have got to do a lot more work on.
"Going to subcontinental conditions is definitely going to help me if two spinners are played but it's a very hard team to break into and only 11 guys that play."
Middle-order batter Ben Duckett is another contender for the Pakistan series with Jonny Bairstow out until 2023 after breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle playing golf in early September.
Duckett was called up to England's squad for the final Test of the summer, against South Africa at The Kia Oval, but did not play with Harry Brook replacing Bairstow in the XI.
The Nottinghamshire left-hander - who played all seven of the T20s in Pakistan - told Sky Sports he still has "massive ambitions" to play Test cricket having made the most recent of his four appearances in that format in India in 2016.
Speaking to reporters in Pakistan last week, Duckett said: "I'd love to be part of the Test squad. My game is very suited for that squad of players: Stokesy [captain Ben Stokes] and [coach Brendon] McCullum."
England won six of their seven Tests this summer under the Stokes-McCullum partnership, with a new-found focus on positive, attacking cricket.
Duckett added: "It just seems they let you go and play with freedom. It takes all pressure off, which I think a lot of Test players have struggled with over the last few years because it is extremely hard. I think this era of Test cricket is pretty exciting to be involved in."
Watch England's three Test matches in Pakistan live on Sky Sports. The series starts in Rawalpindi on December 1 before further games in Multan (from December 9) and Karachi (from December 17).
