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England’s uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox has received his first Test call-up for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The 23-year-old has been in outstanding form this season, amassing 763 runs and hitting seven centuries in 12 County Championship matches.
Cox reflected on his conversation with Brendon McCullum, expressing surprise at the call-up and admitting he initially overlooked a call from the team.
“I was at Battersea Park and I had a missed call. I just thought it was someone trying to sell me something so left it. Then Baz sent me a text saying ‘give me a call back, it’s Baz. I called back pretty quick hoping he didn’t choose someone else instead of me. I’ve always felt I was a bit closer to the white-ball side than anything, so to get the call in red-ball is amazing,” Jordan Cox explained saying to BBC Essex Sport.
Jordan Cox Recalls Lessons From Pakistan Tour
Jordan Cox was part of England’s T20I squad against Pakistan but did not get any game time. Despite this, the right-hander noted that he gained valuable insights and learned a great deal from the series.
“My Pakistan tour, seven T20s, I was there for a month, I think I learned more in that month than I have in my five years playing professional cricket. These three games, I think I’ll learn so much from that, it’ll be the best experience of my life, for sure,” Jordan Cox said further.
The three-Test series between England and Sri Lanka starts on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester. The series will continue with matches at Lord’s from August 29 to September 2, and conclude at The Oval from September 6 to 10.
England, led by Ben Stokes, is coming off a 3-0 series victory over the West Indies, which has propelled them to sixth place in the World Test Championship standings. Sri Lanka, currently fourth in the table, recently recorded two wins against Bangladesh following two losses to Pakistan. After this series, Sri Lanka will face South Africa in two Test matches scheduled for November and December.
England opener Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka series due to a fractured finger sustained while attempting a catch in the Edgbaston Test against the West Indies. Pacer Olly Stone returns to the squad for the first time since June 2021, replacing Dillon Pennington, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Sri Lanka, captained by Dhananjaya de Silva, have added Jeffrey Vandersay to the squad following his impressive performances against India. The team features a familiar batting lineup with openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka, followed by Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dhananjaya de Silva. Kamindu Mendis, known for his ambidextrous bowling, could be a key asset against England’s typically less proficient spin play.
