England have named uncapped batter Jordan Cox in their squad to face Sri Lanka in a three-Test match series later this month.
The ECB announced a 14-man squad for the series on Sunday (August 4), which starts in just over two weeks' time, on August 21. Three players who were not part of the recently-concluded West Indies series were named here; Olly Stone and Dan Lawrence came in for the injured Dillon Pennington (hamstring) and Zak Crawley (finger), and Essex's Jordan Cox also found a spot in the side.
Jordan Cox: From Kent to England, via Essex and all over the world
It is the first national team call-up in the longest format for the 23-year-old Cox, who has impressed on the domestic circuit for more than a few years now. Making his County Championship debut for Kent, he represented them for five seasons (2019-2023), before moving to Essex ahead of the 2024 campaign.
He first caught the eye at senior level in 2020, at the age of 19. In his second season with Kent, he opened the innings during a Bob Willis Trophy match against Sussex. After losing opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond with the score on 107, Cox began to put together a partnership with No.3 Jack Leaning.
Haris Rauf bowled a brilliant match-winning spell at the death for Welsh Fire last night 🔥
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 4, 2024
Here’s how Pakistan’s stars have been getting on in The Hundred and Global T20 Canada: https://t.co/Sp8Q3E5DPn pic.twitter.com/LAqqNvxaNV
The pair put on 423 for the second wicket, the highest partnership for any wicket in Kent's history. Cox finished on 238 not out, to date his highest score in first-class cricket. All in all, he played 42 matches for Kent, averaging 34.5.
The move to Essex has also worked out well for Cox. In 9 matches, he has racked up 763 runs at an average of just under 70. These include two half-centuries and three centuries, with a high score of 207, against his former county. In fact, in three innings against Kent, Cox has scored 390 runs at an average of 195.
Cox's white-ball exploits have helped him land several franchise T20 contracts around the world. Averaging nearly 35 with the bat in T20 cricket in England, he has also played for the Dambulla Aura, Gulf Giants, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Islamabad United and Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Cox was also called up to England's white-ball side for their tour of Pakistan in 2022, but did not play.
Box-office on and off the pitch
The youngster has also displayed a strong personality in his public interactions. He has strongly defended his move to Essex, which did not go down well with many as well as saying he loves the hectic, always-on world of franchise cricket around the world.
During his time at Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, Cox and teammate Alex Hales flew to Abu Dhabi to play "99 holes of golf," something the player admitted sounded crazy to other people, but was "paradise" to him.
Since the start of 2023, India’s T20I win/loss ratio when batting first is 4.75 🇮🇳
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 4, 2024
In that same period, no other men’s Test-playing nation has a win/loss ratio higher than 1.50 😯
Rahul Iyer examines why India have enjoyed such a successful period: https://t.co/WgfUg5QhoF pic.twitter.com/KWIGAZBdoV
Apart from his batting, he has made a name for himself as a gun fielder. In 2021, Cox pulled off a ridiculous boundary-line save in the Blast final, with clips of his effort going viral on social media. He has also played as a wicketkeeper on occasion, and has been working behind the scenes to develop himself as a bowler.
If Jordan Cox in the national team is anything like Jordan Cox so far, England could be in for a fun ride.
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