Jordan Cox is on the verge of making his Test debut for England during their upcoming tour of New Zealand, as Jamie Smith is expected to miss part of the series for the birth of his first child.
Cox, who will turn 24 on Monday, has been the reserve wicketkeeper on the current tour of Pakistan, where he has been backing up Smith. England is scheduled to play three Test matches in New Zealand in November and December, with Smith likely to participate in the first match before potentially missing the final two.
England head coach Brendon McCullum hinted that Smith’s availability depends on his personal circumstances but expressed excitement about the prospect of seeing Cox in action. McCullum, a former international wicketkeeper himself, noted that New Zealand offers favorable conditions for wicketkeeping and that giving Cox a chance would be valuable for the team.
Smith, who also turns 24 this year, has earned eight Test caps since becoming England's first-choice wicketkeeper during the home summer. He is set to play in the series decider against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, which begins on Thursday.
Cox has already represented England in two T20 internationals and has served as the reserve batter and keeper in the Test squad since the summer series against Sri Lanka. Although he joined Essex from Kent for the 2024 season, Cox hasn't kept wicket in first-class cricket since July 2023, due to a serious finger injury he suffered during The Hundred.
McCullum praised Cox’s versatility, commenting that his skills as both a batter and keeper are impressive. He remarked that Cox is one of those players who excels at everything and has a high ceiling, particularly with the bat.
If Smith returns home, Cox is expected to step in, taking the gloves and batting lower down the order during the New Zealand series.
As England prepares to announce their squad for New Zealand after the final Test in Pakistan, the team may seek additional batting options, though they likely won’t require another wicketkeeper since Ollie Pope has experience in that role.
Potential backup players include Dan Lawrence, who was dropped from the Pakistan tour, and promising openers such as Ben McKinney from Durham and Rob Yates from Warwickshire. Somerset's James Rew is another candidate, offering flexibility in the middle order as well as behind the stumps.
One major change for the New Zealand tour will be the omission of Rehan Ahmed, as the team won’t need a third spinner. In contrast, an additional pace-bowling slot may be filled by Josh Hull, who missed the Pakistan tour due to a quad injury but has been named in a Lions squad for training in South Africa. Other bowling options include Dillon Pennington, Jamie Overton—who has struggled with injuries since playing one Test in 2022—and John Turner, who holds a central contract with Hampshire.
England will also release two players from the Pakistan squad to join the white-ball tour of the West Indies once the third Test begins. Cox is expected to be one of the two players, along with a bowler. Ahmed and Olly Stone are the only bowlers yet to play in the first two Tests, though Stone recently returned home for his wedding.
McCullum mentioned that Ahmed might come into contention for the final Test in Pakistan if conditions favour spin, similar to the dry pitch that helped Pakistan win the second Test by 152 runs to level the series. McCullum added that the team would assess the situation and adjust their tactics to give themselves the best chance of securing the series win.