Battersea park

Sir Alastair Cook: At just 23, Jordan Cox has already lived through a career's worth of highs and lows in the span of a year. As he prepares to join England’s Test team for the first time next week, the feisty cricketer from Kent is poised to bring his unique brand of energy, fearlessness, and versatility to the national side.

When Cox received the call from England coach Brendon McCullum, he walked through Battersea Park with his girlfriend. A typical Bazball quip accompanied the news of his selection for the Sri Lanka series: “We want aggressive cricketers, which is what you have been doing. Oh, and bring your golf clubs,” Cox revealed his conversation with McCullum to ‘The Telegraph.’

Cox, a scratch golfer, might not yet be capped by England, but he is no stranger to the pressures of international cricket. He was an unused squad member on the T20 tour to Pakistan in 2022 and was on standby for this year’s World Cup. A “revolting” finger injury during last year’s Hundred tournament delayed his inevitable white-ball debut. But now, with Zak Crawley sidelined by injury, Cox finds himself on the brink of a Test bow—albeit as an understudy, for now.