England cricket analysis: The impressive transformation of Will Jacks
England all-rounder Will Jacks has seen a resurgence batting at number seven while being the go-to bowling option for captain Harry Brook.
Sai Raghav Balakrishnan writes here for Sports News Blitz on why Jacks is so important for the England cricket team.
England were the first team to make the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, having flattered to deceive in most of their wins.
Unconvincing wins against the associate teams, sandwiched between a sub-par performance against the West Indies. Expectations were wavering when the Three Lions entered the Super 8s.
The rise in importance of Will Jacks
While all their wins have had moments of concern, especially on the batting front. Will Jacks’ resurgence as Mr. Reliable has been instrumental in rescuing England from often perilous situations.
Jacks' position at number seven is extremely unfamiliar to him, having only batted once outside the top six before Brook took over as white-ball captain last June.
Being exclusively a top-order batter in franchise cricket and internationally, he has typically underwhelmed playing for the Three Lions.
The Surrey cricketer averaged a paltry 18.23 in his 21 T20I innings in the top-order, never going past the 40 he had made on debut.
However, Brook was determined to find a role for him in the side, especially with his useful off-spin in subcontinent conditions.
He insisted there was value in picking a “proper batter” at number seven, which has proved incredibly fruitful this tournament.
Repaying the faith in him
Jacks has more than repaid this faith, scoring 191 runs at 63, while striking at 176. This is the highest for a batter while batting at number 7 or lower in the tournament.
One thing that stands out about his runs is the situations in which he has scored them. He scored a blistering 39 off 18 balls against Nepal, which ultimately proved the difference in the close encounter.
Furthermore, he blasted a 21-ball fifty against Italy to rescue them from 103-5 to post 202.
To cap this off, Will Jacks showcased his firefighting ability against the Kiwis, helping them chase an unlikely 43 off just three overs in the last game of the Super 8s.
He struck a vital 32 of 18, ripping apart Glenn Phillips to score 22 runs off the 18th over, to ensure England won with three balls to spare.
Jacks’ bowling has also come to the party, bagging seven wickets at an average of 22. While his economy of 9.7 may be a concern, Brook has often utilised him as a wicket-taking option, which was evident against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
He claimed 3-22 while helping England defend a low score against co-hosts Sri Lanka, and choked the New Zealand middle order, only conceding 23 runs while taking 2 wickets from his full quota.
READ MORE: Cricket analysis: Harry Brook’s coming-of-age innings for England
Jacks’ importance against India
With India having a weakness against off-spin throughout this World Cup, and their abundance of left-handers. Jacks may prove crucial in this clash with his off-spin taking it away from the southpaws.
Jacks can be almost considered a failsafe player for Brook's men, and he is extremely candid about the fact that England’s perfect game would involve him doing minimal work.
“Ideally, I would do nothing," he said.
"I'm the extra bowler and the extra batter; if I didn't bowl and didn't bat, we'd have that perfect game that people have been speaking about… Coming into the semi-finals, if I do nothing, I'm sure we've had a great day."
The Surrey all-rounder has won a record-breaking four Player of the Matches so far, and while England may have an uphill task against favourites India, if they can pull off two more consecutive wins, there will be a strong case for Jacks to be player of the tournament.
READ NEXT: Cricket news: Brilliant Brook takes England into the semi-finals after incredible century
