Eddie Jack has made his first class debut against India A and so far played two FC matches in a span of two weeks. Photo: Hampshire
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has called up a 19-year-old uncapped fast bowler as a replacement for the injured Josh Tongue ahead of the first of the five-match Test series in Headingley, Leeds, on June 20.
The England Test squad is currently plagued with injuries, with several key players set to miss the India series. Mark Wood, Olly Stone, and Gus Atkinson have already been ruled out of the series, and Tongue is the latest addition to that list. To add to that, Jofra Archer’s return to Test cricket has also been delayed by a thumb injury.
Wood, a key component of England’s pace attack, has been ruled out of the entire English summer owing to the injury he sustained during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier this year. Atkinson, on the other hand, is yet to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained against Zimbabwe in Nottingham in May.
In the current circumstances, England might go with Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Sam Cook as their frontline pacers, with Ben Stokes assisting the trio with his gentle medium pace.
To counter the current crisis, according to The Indian Express, England included Eddie Jack in the squad. The young Hampshire lad made his first-class debut late last month with a match against India A in Canterbury.
Jack has been called upon after Tongue hobbled out of the field during England Lions’ second unofficial Test against India A in Northampton after bowling 20.3 overs in the first innings. Tongue managed to pick up two wickets against India A.
Who is Eddie Jack?
Jack, who played only two first-class matches in his career against India A in a span of two weeks, had a rather impressive run. He picked up four wickets across four innings at an average of 53. Among his notable scalps were KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel in the second innings of the second unofficial Test.
The 6ft 4in pacer has impressed the England Lions coaching staff, including Andrew Flintoff, Mark Wood, and Graeme Swann, as well as England's talent scouts. As part of his development, he has been included in the England squad ahead of the first Test. He will be part of England's preparations and will do net bowling.
Jack has been part of the England Lions team playing against India A in two unofficial Tests at Canterbury and Northampton - the only two first-class matches he has played so far.
In England's domestic scene, he has played for Hampshire's first team in List A and T20 cricket but is yet to break into their County Championship side. Jack, however, represented the England U-19 side and caught the eye of the selectors during their tour of South Africa earlier this year with his ability to generate sheer pace and bounce.
Last month, he appeared for a combined counties XI in a warm-up match for Zimbabwe, registering a five-wicket haul.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Sports, Cricket, IPL 2025, IPL Points Table, IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap and around the world.
