Jordan Cox will represent Jamie Smith on England's tour of New Zealand

Jordan Cox is expected to make his England Test debut on the tour of New Zealand, with Jamie Smith likely to miss part of the series due to the birth of his first child.

Cox, from Essex, who turns 24 on Monday, is Smith's backup wicketkeeper on the current Pakistan tour.

England play three Tests in New Zealand in November and December.

“At this stage it looks like Jamie is likely to play the first game and may miss the next two,” England head coach Brendon McCullum said.

“It’s a little bit down to Mother Nature. New Zealand is a comfortable place to play wicket and it would be great to take a look at Jordan Cox too.”

Surrey keeper Smith, 24, has won eight friendlies since being promoted to England's first-choice gloveman at the start of the home summer. He will be behind the stumps for the series decider against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, which begins on Thursday.

Cox has played two T20 internationals for England and has been a reserve batsman and goalkeeper in the Test team since the home series against Sri Lanka in the summer.

He moved from Kent to Essex for the 2024 season but has not taken a wicket in first-class cricket since July 2023, partly due to a horrific finger injury he sustained in The Hundred in August that year. In total he only played six first-class matches.

“His possession is solid,” said McCullum, himself a former international wicketkeeper. “I've been working with him a bit lately.

“He's actually shockingly good at everything he does, one of those guys that you look at and say he's got a high ceiling of talent, especially with the bat in his hand.”

“If Jamie does indeed return home, there's a good chance he'll get the opportunity to take down command and take the gloves in New Zealand.”