England all-rounder Will Jacks has described the side's remaining tri-series fixtures as a mini World Cup, saying the pressure of must-win matches cannot be replicated in training or a bilateral series.
Defeats against Pakistan and Sri Lanka have left England needing to win both their remaining group games to give themselves the best chance of reaching the final on November 1. The situation became critical after a dramatic loss to Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday, October 22. Harry Brook's 202 had lifted England to 429 for four, yet Sri Lanka overhauled it from the penultimate ball to win by two wickets. That result followed an 87-run mauling at the hands of Pakistan earlier in the tri-series. England have now arrived in Lahore knowing they must beat Pakistan on October 25 and then Sri Lanka on October 29.
Jacks drew a direct comparison with England's 2019 World Cup campaign and pointed to the 2027 edition in southern Africa as the broader context for the week ahead.
"It's my first tri-series and it replicates World Cup styles and pressures. You can't replicate that in training or a bilateral series. "In World Cups you have to bounce back, I remember in 2019 when England lost a couple of games in the group and they had to win their last two and they were able to do that to take the momentum forward. I'm not saying it's the same thing but it's a mini version of that and hopefully we can win on Sunday and move on. We have the opportunity to play in two must-win fixtures. Every game that we play is a stepping stone towards South Africa in 12 months' time. Sometimes you learn more in losses than you do in wins. There's always going to be bumps," Jacks said, as quoted by The Independent.
How did England's bowling hold up against Sri Lanka?
England's bowling unit came under considerable scrutiny after Sri Lanka chased down 429 in Rawalpindi on Thursday. Double World Cup winner Adil Rashid was left out for tactical reasons, leaving Jacks as part of a callow six-strong bowling group that was pummelled across all parts of the ground.
Sam Curran was the most experienced member of the attack but also the most expensive, conceding 103 runs from nine overs. Those figures represent the worst ever one-day international return by an England bowler. Jacks acknowledged the difficulty of Curran's situation and the broader bowling challenge.
"I've been through (operations) and it's always a bit tense playing your first few games and keeping your fingers crossed that your body holds up and you get into the game. They were incredibly hard conditions to bowl in for any bowler and he bowls a lot of pressure overs – that's his role in the team. He's been so successful with that for England over a number of years. There are some days where it doesn't quite work. If they're going to chase 430 then someone's going to have to get some tap, but it's more of a bowling unit problem that we lost that game," Jacks said.
What did Jacks make of Brook's record double hundred?
While the bowling came under scrutiny, Jacks said England had found what he called the 'perfect batting template' in the same match. Brook became the first England batter to score an ODI double hundred and did so at the fastest pace in the history of the format. Jacks was at the non-striker's end for much of that innings and hit 66 not out off 30 balls himself before the partnership ended.
"From when I went in, he was on 90 so to see him get to a hundred and then a double hundred – which we didn’t even really think about until the last two overs – was amazing. He’s someone I’ve played a lot of cricket with and to be at the other end and have the best seat was really special, I loved it," Jacks added.
