England’s Will Jacks has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour of Bangladesh after suffering a left thigh injury during the second one-day international.
The 24-year-old Surrey all-rounder made his ODI debut last week, replacing Tom Abell, and contributed to England’s opening victory with 26 runs and one wicket.
According to an ECB spokesperson, Jacks suffered the left thigh injury while fielding during the second ODI in Dhaka. He will now fly back home in the next 48 hours to begin his recovery.
England’s ODI Journey
The ODI series against Bangladesh is an important part of England’s preparations for the World Cup in India, which is scheduled to take place in October.
With the September 10 cutoff date for announcing their squad fast approaching, England will be looking to make the most of their remaining matches.
The tourists currently hold a 2-0 lead in the series and will be hoping to maintain their dominance in the third and final match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Monday.
It remains to be seen whether Jacks’s injury will affect his participation in the Indian Premier League, where he was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore in last December’s auction.
Jack’s Potential Replacement
Despite the setback, England’s squad remains strong and boasts several exciting young talents. One of those is 18-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who is likely to make his ODI debut in Jacks’s absence.
Ahmed is already England’s youngest Test cricketer after making his debut against Pakistan last December, and he has made a meteoric rise this winter. He claimed seven wickets in his debut Test match, including a five-for in the second innings, and has already shown great potential with the bat, scoring a first-class hundred.
England fast bowler Mark Wood is confident Ahmed is ready for his first appearance in a limited-overs international. “He is the real deal,” said Wood.
“He’s got youthful enthusiasm and excitement, and it’s as if he’s playing a club game. He wants to bowl and whack it. He has a nature about him which is just lovely to see. It’s quite infectious, and I am sure that he will at some point play on this tour. And I am really looking forward to seeing how he goes.”
Ahmed missed the first two ODIs in Bangladesh because he was feeling unwell, but he has returned to training and is likely to be one of two leg-spinners in England’s ranks alongside Adil Rashid on Monday. With Ahmed’s talent and enthusiasm, England’s future looks bright despite the unfortunate loss of Jacks.
Upcoming Matches for England
After the ODI series, England will play three Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh. The first match is scheduled to be held in Chittagong on March 9, with the remaining two games to be played in Dhaka on March 12 and 14. The visitors will be hoping to continue their winning form in the T20 format as well.
Currently, the visitors, who are the world champions in both formats, will be looking to improve their performance on the batting-friendly track and maintain their unbeaten record against Bangladesh. They are the only visiting side to have registered an ODI series win in the country since 2015.
