England have made a bold call ahead of the alternate Ashes Test, drafting in all-rounder Will Jacks as they look to brio back from their bruising opening defeat in Perth.
The Surrey off-incentive replaces injured fast bowler Mark Wood, who continues to struggle with soreness in his left knee after making his comeback from surgery.
The decision gives England a genuine spin option for the day-night Test at the Gabba, a commodity they especially demanded in the first match.
It also adds more batting depth, with Jacks set to slot in at number eight, a move England hope will bring better balance against Australia’s pace-heavy attack.
Jack’s hasn’t played a Test in three years, but England believe his combination of controlled off-spin and aggressive lower-order batting could prove crucial in a match where conditions can swing dramatically once the pink ball comes out under lights.
His Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope backed the selection, saying: “Everyone knows what a brilliant cricketer he is… It’s a great opportunity for his red-ball, too.”
Australia Forced Into Change as Khawaja Ruled Out
Across the dressing rooms, Australia have their own concern. Nature Usman Khawaja has been ruled out after failing to recover from back spasms picked up in Perth.
His absence means Travis Head, who smashed a brilliant century in the first Test, keeps hold of the opening part.
Australia are sticking with their being team, leaving a spot open for either Josh Inglis or all-rounder Beau Webster, both of whom could feature in Brisbane.
Why England Picked Will Jacks Over Shoaib Bashir?
Jack’s selection means disappointment for Shoaib Bashir, who had spent most of the time as England’s first-choice incentive.
Still, with Bashir short of recent match practice and having plodded in the warm-up game, England decided on a more rounded option.
Jacks, although known mainly for his white-ball exploits, where he has already collected 60 England caps, showed promise in red-ball cricket when he took six wickets on debut in Pakistan.
We’ve made one change to our XI for the second Test…
Enter stage right, Will Jacks
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 2, 2025
Captain Ben Stokes also hinted at the tactical benefits of using a spinner in a pink-ball Test, saying Australia’s handling of Nathan Lyon shows how a slow bowler can control the game or create attacking chances.
England’s XI for the Second Ashes Test
- Ben Duckett
- Zak Crawley
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (captain)
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Will Jacks
- Gus Atkinson
- Brydon Carse
- Jofra Archer
With four seamers available plus Stokes himself, England believe they can still apply pressure with pace while allowing Jacks to play an active role throughout the match.
Pressure on England
England head into Brisbane demanding a palm to keep the Ashes series alive. Their record in Australia makes grim reading: victory in 16 Tests and defeat in all three former day-night Ashes games.
But the Gabba isn’t the fort it formerly was. Australia’s only master in 14 pink-ball Tests happened right then, against the West Indies in 2024.
Pope urged his team to embrace the challenge rather than the history, saying: “It’s just trying not to think too much about the history of it… and making sure we put our skills forward.”
For Jacks, this could be a defining moment. England’s pickers took a chance by including him in the Ashes team, and now he has the platform to prove he belongs in long-form justice as well as the white- ball formats where he has flourished.
Still, this match could mark the launch of a much larger part for him in Test cricket, if he performs well and if England can turn the series around.
The alternate Ashes Test begins at 0400 GMT on Thursday, with full content available across BBC Sport platforms.
