Will Jacks says England’s new-look one-day side need time to get to grips with a format they rarely play after beating Australia to keep their five-match series alive.
Jacks hit a brilliant 84 as he and centurion Harry Brook led the hosts to a rain-affected win in Durham on Tuesday following victories for the world champions in the two opening games.
Without seasoned campaigners such as Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow — all of whom played in England’s triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign — the host nation are relying on a new generation in the current series.
But Brook and Jacks have had scant exposure to the 50-over game.
Neither has featured in county cricket’s One-Day Cup since 2019, with leading white-ball players routinely skipping the tournament following the advent of The Hundred, which added to an already packed calendar.
“With the lack of 50-over cricket that we play now, finding that tempo can be difficult,” Jacks, 25, said before another must-win clash at Lord’s on Friday.
“Of course it is difficult. The schedule only allows what it allows and that’s for people above us (to determine). We just go where we’re told. I think when you’re leading up to a major event, you are going to play more but with the way TV is… no, that’s out of our control.
“This is our first time together as a squad so it’s going to take time to get there but we’re progressing every game and hopefully when we come back next time we’ll be one step further.”
Despite his inexperience — just 32 List A appearances in the six years since his debut – Jacks has impressed in the 50-over game, with four half-centuries in 10 one-day internationals.
Following heavy defeats at Trent Bridge and Headingley, England won the third ODI at the Riverside by 46 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for weather-affected matches.
It was Australia’s first defeat after 14 straight wins in the format.