Jordan Cox poised for England Test debut on New Zealand tour

New Delhi, Oct 19: England wicketkeeper Jordan Cox is set to make his Test debut during the upcoming tour of New Zealand, as first-choice keeper Jamie Smith is expected to miss part of the series due to the birth of his first child.

England head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that Smith, who has been England’s regular wicketkeeper since the beginning of the home summer, is likely to play the first of the three Tests before returning home, with Cox primed to step in for the remaining two matches.

Cox, who turns 24 on Monday, is currently the backup keeper on England’s tour of Pakistan, and McCullum believes the New Zealand tour will offer a perfect opportunity to assess Cox's capabilities in Test cricket.

"At this stage, it looks like Jamie will probably play the first one and may miss the next two," McCullum was quoted by BBC as saying. "New Zealand is a comfortable place to keep wicket, and it would be great to have a look at Jordan Cox as well," McCullum said.

Though Cox is relatively inexperienced in first-class cricket as a wicketkeeper, having kept in only six first-class matches, McCullum, himself a former international keeper, has been impressed with Cox's overall skill set.

"His keeping is solid. I've done a bit of work with him recently. He’s one of those annoyingly talented players who’s good at everything, especially with the bat. He’s got a high ceiling," he added.

Cox has already featured for England in two T20 internationals and has been the reserve keeper since the home series against Sri Lanka. However, his opportunities to keep in first-class cricket have been limited, partly due to a serious finger injury he sustained during The Hundred tournament in 2023.