Colombo, February 28 – All-rounder Will Jacks believes England doesn't need a "perfect game" to win the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup title. Having secured a semi-final berth with a thrilling last-over win over New Zealand in Colombo – his fourth "Player of the Match" award of the tournament – Jacks made it clear that results, not perfection, were what mattered.
"We've won six out of seven games, and we've qualified for the semi-final. Ultimately, no one really cares (about a perfect game). We obviously want to play well, but we're not disappointed that we haven't played a perfect game because we're winning. And that's T20 cricket, that's professional sport. It's also incredibly difficult to do that.
"You're playing against a very strong team that has prepared as well as you, and they know what they're trying to do, and they're also trying to play a perfect game. So the chances of that happening are very slim. What we've done well is, in the key moments, we've kept a calm and clear head, and we've managed to negotiate those well."
Under Harry Brook's leadership, they have repeatedly found themselves in tricky positions, only for someone to step up. Against New Zealand, chasing 160, the crisis point arrived again: 43 required from the final three overs when Rehan Ahmed joined Jacks at the crease. What followed was a decisive shift in momentum built on clarity and courage, as England romped home with three balls to spare.
Yet, Jacks admitted the nerves were real, especially after watching Sri Lanka falter against New Zealand's spinners on the same surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
"I was nervous. I knew that was a big task. We've seen the Sri Lanka game two nights ago on this pitch and how well New Zealand were bowling, and I watched how our batters were finding it having bowled on it myself. I knew that was a lot of runs. So I knew we needed to do something special."
The turning point came in the 18th over when Rehan charged Glenn Phillips and launched him for six off the second ball. Twenty-two runs flowed from the over.
"That ball that Rehan hit, a six on the second ball, that gave me energy as well. And I thought, 'right, we've got a chance here'. And then obviously I finished the over 6, 4, 4, and, we were on. I think small moments like that [are] so important and not just the runs but the way it happens, hitting a big six and really showing the bowler that you're on here and we believe that we can win this is, is really crucial and from that moment I think the mindset changed.”
England now head to Mumbai for the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium, where they will likely face either defending champions India or West Indies — the latter having beaten them earlier at the same venue.
"It would be massive, yeah," Jacks said. "Everyone knows about India and the storyline that that brings. It could also be the West Indies and they've beaten us in Mumbai, so we know how tricky that's going to be. We'll be watching their game Sunday and we'll see the outcome. We'll be prepared and I think we'll go into it with optimism and excitement.”
Brook, too, was unfazed by the prospect. “We're not bothered,” he said after the New Zealand win. “We've just got to go out there and whoever we're facing, they're going to be a tough opponent anyway.
“We've already played against West Indies at the Wankhede already, so a little bit of experience there. It's nice to go back to a ground that we've already played on as well. Both sides are very strong, very powerful teams and we've just got to go out there and try and do the little things well again.”
