Kerry O’Keeffe has said that England should drop Ben Duckett from their XI for the third Test match and open batting with Will Jacks instead.
England brought in Jacks, a batter and part-time spinner, for Mark Wood for the day-night Test match at Brisbane. Jacks made 19 in England’s first-innings total of 334, and dismissed last man Brendan Doggett in his 11.3 overs.
Trailing by 177 in the first innings, England were 128-6 in the second when Jacks joined Ben Stokes. As he began confidently, Mark Waugh and Kerry O’Keeffe discussed his batting on air.
“[I’ve] been impressed with Will Jacks actually,” said Waugh. “I mean he’s only got nine in this innings, but just his technique is very simple. You look at some of the other England top order players, you think well they might get out any ball but this guy has a bit of calmness about him: Could he bat higher in Adelaide?”
“I’d open with him,” responded O’Keeffe. “I would drop Ben Duckett. I think he’s unfit and he’s bowlable too.”
“Or maybe Pope?” said Waugh.
“I’d drop him too,” replied O'Keefe.
“True, if we’ve got enough replacements,” said Waugh.
“Well, the number three has to be a centurion,” responded O'Keefe.“He has to be your best player. Ollie Pope’s form currently rates him at six. Ben Duckett doesn’t look right fit for this tournament. That’s why Jacks has a technique of an opening.”
Duckett’s scores in the series read 21, 28, 0, 15, while Pope has scored 46, 33, 0, 26. Jacks, on the other hand, is playing his third Test match, after playing two on the Pakistan tour of 2022/23. After making 30, 24, 31 while batting outside the top six in that series, Jacks was promoted to No.3 and made four runs. He also scored a century batting in the middle-order for Surrey in the 2025 County Championship.
At the time of writing, England were 220-6 with Stokes (47) and Duckett (39) at the crease. They lead by 43 runs.
