Experienced spinner Jack Leach had feared his England career might be on the back burner, having failed to get selected for the summer tests in his home country, but he has gone on to impress in Pakistan, where the conditions clearly favour him, and now hopes to play a part in the crucial third test in Rawalpindi.
The 33-year-old Somerset star secured his first test cap in 2018 and has always been a reliable performer, and his omission from summer action says more about the conditions in England than a slight on his obvious qualities.
Nonetheless, being dropped by your country will always sting, and it takes a strong character to hang in there and fight to get back into the reckoning.
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In the first test against Pakistan, Leach secured seven wickets before doing likewise in the second, proving his ability to make an impact on the pitches in the region, and he is clearly glad to be back wearing England colours, stating,
“After a long time out with injury, I felt maybe that might be it, even though I knew this tour was the other side of the summer,”
“At that point it was very much about me getting back to my best and enjoying my cricket, and being injury-free for a good amount of time.”
Leach played against India earlier in the year before suffering an injury but has come back with aplomb.
“If you’re not able to stay fit, then other people come in and do well, and Bash certainly did that,”
“A lot of it doesn’t need to be explained. I know what the situation was. It was just about me getting back to fitness. Then, from that, you take wickets and build confidence. That’s what I went away and did.” Leach added.
Leach has 138 wickets from his 40 tests and will hope to get more during the third test, which is a decider that is sure to have plenty of twists and turns, with the spinners on both teams being key players to look out for.
Captain Ben Stokes will also hope to make an impact with the ball, the returning skipper now seemingly fit enough to do so, having returned for the second test, managing just five overs in each innings in the defeat.
Indeed, the selection for the third test suggests Stokes may open the England bowling for what would be only the third time in his 100+ tests to date, the last occasion also being in Pakistan during their 2022 tour.
