The future is bright for Jack Leach, England’s rising cult hero

The Taunton-born left-armer talks to The Independent about battling adversity and his once-in-a-lifetime experience with England

Jack Leach celebrates England's series victory over Sri Lanka (Getty Images)

Like the very best cult heroes, Jack Leach doesn’t conform to the sporting norm.

He may have been one of the key reasons why England comprehensively walloped Sri Lanka but his rise couldn’t be further removed from the gilded path taken by many.

Just two years ago, Leach was overlooked by England when an opening was on the offing in India, mainly as a result of concerns about the legality of his action.

He has also suffered from Crohn’s disease from the age of 14, a bowel condition which still affects him today, regardless of the number of wickets he takes and the plaudits he gathers in enduringly modest fashion.

Leach has overcome adversity at every turn but, at the age of 27, will head out to the West Indies in the New Year as England’s first-choice second spinner – and not too far off topping the bill.

The Taunton-born left-armer would baulk at the suggestion that he could oust Moeen Ali as England’s number one by the time next summer’s Ashes roll around.

But similar performances to those which were consistently too good for Sri Lanka in England’s whitewash could yet see Leach handed the opportunity to add to his burgeoning reputation when the still-troubled Aussies arrive in town.

“It couldn’t have gone much better out there – we wanted to win, obviously, but to win 3-0 was very special,” he says.

“We made a bit of history there and I think it has given us, as a squad, a massive amount of confident.

“I learnt a lot. I definitely would have taken everything that came my way at the start of the tour.

“I’ve got great belief that that I can do it at that level. I’ve got things I need to work on and get better at but I’m definitely hungry to get more of it.

“It was very different to English conditions but what was nice was that we changed the balance of the team and still won very convincingly.

Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid celebrate victory in Sri Lanka (Getty)

“That’s an indication of the kind of strength of depth we have in the side.”

For an England team that has been largely built on the continued excellence of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad for the best part of a decade, it was also a welcome reminder that this galloping England side is far from a one-trick pony.

The West Indies is unlikely to provide too many hurdles for Joe Root’s rampant young side. It could, though, provide more of the kind of pitches that Leach thrives on.

And regardless of what else happens in his England career, Leach can already boast of having opened both the batting and the bowling for his country in the same Test.

Alastair Cook he isn’t. But that won’t stop him from being economical with the truth if his future children or grandchildren fire questions at him after browsing Wisden when he has hung up his boots.

Leach strode out to open England’s second innings against the hosts in Kandy, following in the footsteps of fellow Somerset boy, Marcus Trescothick, in the second Test.

Leach can already boast of having opened both the batting and the bowling for his country in the same Test (AP)

It was, he admits, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“It was nerve-wracking – but it was something that really made you think,” he says.

“I opened the batting and the bowling in the same Test for England! That’s something you’ll always look back on with huge fondness.

“I’ll probably tell everyone that I opened the batting and the bowling for England and just leave it at that.

“Then hopefully they’ll never pick up a copy of Wisden and see differently.

“The plan was for Rash (Adil Rashid) to open and then it quickly changed.

Leach has overcome adversity at every turn throughout his career but the future is now bright (Getty)

“They were concerned about the off-spinner turning it away from the left-hander and then decided at the last minute that that would be okay.

“Then your competitive nature switches on and you think – I want to get through this over.

“The Barmy Army were singing and cheering every ball. I didn’t last long the next morning but the boys were buzzing that night. It was a nice moment.”

Despite what future generations might think, Leach is most definitely in this England side for his ability with ball rather than bat.

After spinning a web in Sri Lanka, he’ll hope that’s just the start of an England career that has already taken its fair share of unexpected turns.