Jordan Cox is poised to make his Test debut as England's wicketkeeper during their upcoming tour of New Zealand. This opportunity arises as Jamie Smith is set to miss part of the series due to paternity leave.
Cox, who will turn 24 on Monday as per ESPNcricinfo, has been England's reserve batter for the last five Tests and now has the chance to make his mark in December.
Smith and his partner are expecting their first child in mid-December, coinciding with either the second or third Test against New Zealand. "Being at the birth of my son is not something I want to miss," he told the Daily Mail recently, as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "It will be a memory that I cherish more than any in cricket anyway, so if I lost my place because of it, so be it," he added.
Cox made his international debut in England's T20I series against Australia last month and will soon join the squads for their upcoming white-ball tour to the Caribbean.