England have confirmed their playing XI for the upcoming second Ashes Test in Brisbane, with all-rounder Will Jacks being preferred over frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir. Mark Wood will be missing the high-octane encounter due to a knee issue. And Will Jacks has been brought in as his replacement. This is the only change for England, which endured an eight-wicket defeat in the Ashes opener in Perth.
Wood bowled just 11 overs in the opening Test in Perth and had already suggested he was unlikely to feature in all five matches on this demanding tour. This week, he has been seen wearing a heavy-duty brace on his left leg.
Jacks, who has featured for England in two Test matches, marks his return to the side following a three-year absence. Notably, Jacks, in his maiden Test match against Pakistan in 2022, claimed a five-wicket haul.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer