It was a quirk of circumstance that Will Jacks' first standout performance as an England player was a six-wicket haul in a Test match rather than a characteristically dominant white-ball innings. Jacks became the first England debutant spinner since 1993 to claim a five-for on Test debut in 2022, setting up a famous win in Rawalpindi. Not only was it his maiden first-class five-for, he was not even meant to be in the side: he was a late change to the side before the toss with Ben Foakes ruled out through illness.

But though his offspin is more than serviceable, Jacks is primarily a powerful top-order batter who has long been tipped for the top. He shot to mainstream attention on Surrey's pre-season tour in 2019, when he hit a 25-ball hundred in a T10 friendly against Lancashire in Dubai, by which stage he had graduated from a spell with England's Under-19s which included a century against India in a Youth Test and the vice-captaincy at the 2018 World Cup.

Jacks played for Surrey in all three formats in the Championship-winning season of 2018, at the age of 19, and by his early 20s was an established first-team regular. He earned his Test call-up for England's 2022 Pakistan tour after an impressive all-round season for Surrey, developing his offspin under head coach Gareth Batty's tutelage, and also won caps for the T20I and ODI teams. He was also the second man to score a century in the Hundred, playing for Oval Invincibles against defending champions Southern Brave.

An injury sustained on tour in Bangladesh in early 2023 ruled him out of his first IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but he continued to stake a strong claim for England's white-ball squads. He has dipped his toe into the T20 franchise circuit and in early 2024, he hit centuries in the SA20, BPL and IPL in the space of three months.
ESPNcricinfo staff