The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday announced England’s playing XI for the second Ashes Test against Australia, a Day-Night Pink-Ball game which starts at the Gabba in Brisbane from Thursday, December 4.
England have made a solitary change in the XI, replacing their injured marquee pacer Mark Wood with all-rounder Will Jacks for the Brisbane Test.
Jacks, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, has played in two Test matches for England before getting a call-up for the Pink-Ball Test. The spin-bowling all-rounder had claimed a maiden five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in 2022.
Meanwhile, Wood was always a doubtful starter for the second Test. His status came into question after he skipped England’s first training session in Brisbane on Saturday, making him the only one of the 13 squad members in Queensland not to attend.
Joe Root then clarified that while he is not aware of the specific details of Wood’s injury, the express pacer is doing everything possible to ensure his availability for the second Ashes Test.
“I don’t know the full ins and outs with Woody, but you know, with him, he’ll do everything he can to be as ready as soon as possible,” Root had told England Cricket earlier on Sunday. “He is very professional in that regard; he is desperate to do well for England. He will put everything out on the field, leave no stone unturned, and he wants to bowl as fast as he can, as often as possible.”
When asked about a timeline for England’s express pacers’ return, Root added, “That is the case, whether it is days or weeks, we will see. But clearly, if he does miss out, then that provides a brilliant opportunity for someone else. What a great stage to perform on.”
After losing the first Test at Perth by eight wickets, England are trailing the five-match Ashes series 0-1.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
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