Will Jacks has given his full backing to England's white-ball captain Harry Brook, stating the team is united behind their leader as they prepare for the T20 World Cup. Brook aims to put a difficult winter behind him, marked by on-field struggles and off-field controversies, as he steers England into the tournament.
Team Unity Behind Brook
Jacks, who was roommates with Brook at the 2018 Under-19s World Cup, emphasised that the squad is fully supportive of their captain. "He's made a wrong decision but he's accepted that and we're now trying to move forward in a positive direction," Jacks said. He added that Brook is "making amends on the pitch" and that the team will back him "100 per cent."
Moving Past Controversy
Brook's winter was marred by poor form during the Ashes series, followed by a revelation that he was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on Halloween, just hours before an ODI against New Zealand. The incident has lingered in the background after Brook admitted to lying about being alone during the altercation. However, recent successes in ODI and T20 series victories in Sri Lanka have helped shift focus back to cricket.
"He knows what he's done and there's nothing you can change about that so there's no point focusing on it too much from his perspective," Jacks noted. "He wants his cricket to do the talking." England head into their T20 World Cup opener against Nepal in Mumbai this weekend with renewed confidence, buoyed by Brook's leadership and team solidarity.
Team News and Preparations
Phil Salt missed England's T20 series clean sweep over Sri Lanka on Tuesday due to a back spasm, but he batted in the nets on Friday and is expected to open alongside Jos Buttler on Sunday. If Salt is unavailable, Ben Duckett would likely be preferred over Tom Banton at the top of the order, with Jacks also considered as an alternative. Jacks has adapted to a lower-order all-rounder role under Brook's captaincy, moving down to number seven from the top three.
Jacks' Bowling Development
Jacks' part-time off-spin was targeted by Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but he has since focused more on his bowling. The 27-year-old, who served as England's frontline spinner in four Ashes Tests ahead of Shoaib Bashir, is now comfortable forming a three-prong spin attack with Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson.
"The more I've bowled, simply the more I'm going to get more comfortable and understand spin bowling in general," Jacks explained. He acknowledged past struggles, saying, "I know that last T20 World Cup was talked about, how Australia got after me, but that's part of the game. At some stage everyone's going to get a bit of tap in a T20. You just have to move on, take it in your stride and I've developed since then."
Jacks added that his Ashes experience, bowling at high-quality players, has been beneficial for his development. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer is anticipated to be fit despite skipping England's final optional practice session. The team has opted not to train on Saturday as the Wankhede Stadium is occupied for the India-United States match, and the alternative venue at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai would involve a three-hour round trip.
