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Eddie Jack Eyes England Lions Success: “I Want To Make The Most Of Every Opportunity”
Eddie Jack Eyes England Lions Success: “I Want To Make The Most Of Every Opportunity”
Hampshire quick bowler Eddie Jack looks ahead to his first England Lions tour as he flies out to Australia
Eddie Jack is one of the most exciting young cricketers in the country.
The 20-year-old has been selected to play for England Lions on their tour of Australia having made his First-Class debut for the team earlier this year.
A baptism of fire, Jack was thrust in to bowl against the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Karun Nair as India prepared for their five-match Test series against India.
He dismissed the first two of those players along with Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy to make it four international players in his first two matches with a red ball in hand.
Speaking to BBC Solent last week, Jack said: “There’s almost two elements to the tour. Obviously, one is a competitive element and wanting to win every game we play, but also a chance to develop and train in a really good environment.
“I can’t wait to get out there and make the most of every opportunity.”
Now in Perth ahead of England Lions’ first match of the tour, against the England first XI as they prepare for the Ashes at the Optus Stadium, Jack is settling in on his second time out in Australia.
He was part of the England U19s squad that took on the Aussies in the winter of 2022-23 when he took three wickets playing with Hampshire teammate Dom Kelly.
Jack is hoping to put his previous experience to good use as the Lions play four games, including a day-night match in Canberra.
“I got pretty nasty jet lag last time,” Jack said, “I’m hoping I can be a bit more switched on with that on this front but knowing roughly what to expect from a conditions perspective will be helpful.”
Under the stewardship of Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, Jack has been ‘fully backed’ as he looks to stake a claim for himself on the international stage.
Jack said: “I’ve said before how much I enjoy working with him [Andrew Flintoff], and not just him, I think it’s the whole culture that he sets in the team, all the other staff buy in and I think everyone gets the best out of themselves around them. Tips off him are absolute gold dust.”
The squad spent some time at the ECB performance centre at Loughborough before flying out to get to know each other.
The group of 18 is a mixture of in-form players and those pushing for places in the England side, with capped players including Rehan Ahmed, Matt Fisher, and Tom Hartley.
With such a large squad, Jack is realistic about the opportunities he will get to take to the field, but says it is a ‘win-win’ situation either way.
“There’s plenty of fast bowlers going so from a probability sense, you’d be unlikely to play every single game,” Jack said, “but you’re either getting game experience or some quality time training with some amazing coaches.”
“I’m going out there with eyes wide open and trying to be as much of a sponge as I can.”
Having made his debut for the Lions against some of the ‘best players in the world’ in India’s batters, Jack was invited to train with the full England squad at Headingley ahead of the first Test match.
The time in Leeds was cut short after he had to rush back to join Hampshire’s squads for the Vitality Blast and County Championship match against Essex in what Jack describes as a ‘pretty hectic week’.
But the taste of international cricket has given Jack an insight into how England go about their cricket and how they want to play.
Jack said: “It’s brewing people to really be the best versions of themselves. Thinking back to when I got the chance to play against those India sides, you feel fully backed and fully confident in your ability because of the messaging and the environment you find yourself in.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a straitjacket to play in a certain way, more of a taking the shackles off a little bit and letting you express yourself in a way that you’re comfortable with.”
England Lions play four games in as many weeks in Australia, with the first outing at Lilac Hill in Perth against the main England XI with the first Ashes Test taking place on 21st November.
The team then take on a Cricket Australia XI from 21-24th November before heading to Canberra for a two-day day-night match against the Prime Minister’s XI, with a final match against Australia A in Brisbane from 5-8th December.
With the fire for international cricket lit inside Eddie Jack, and knowing how previous Ashes tours of Australia have gone, don’t be surprised to see the young Hampshire bowler representing the Three Lions sooner rather than later.
You can watch Eddie Jack in action for Hampshire in 2026 with a Hampshire Cricket Membership.
Membership grants access to Hampshire’s domestic league and group stage cricket across the County Championship and One Day Cup, with Premium Membership granting access to Hampshire Hawks’ matches in the Vitality Blast.
Benefits include priority access to discounted tickets to England international and The Hundred matches at Utilita Bowl, along with invites to exclusive members’ events across the year, discounts across the outlets at Utilita Bowl, and more.
Membership starts at £220 for adults, with premium options from £280. Junior memberships start at £30.
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