"No one really cares about...” - Will Jacks after England reach semis in T20 WC 2026

England all-rounder Will Jacks said that the Harry Brook-led team does not need to play a perfect game to claim the title at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Jacks stated that results are more important than perfection, adding that England have won six of their seven matches so far in the marquee tournament.

England secured a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, February 27. They finished at the top of Group 2 after winning all three of their Super 8 matches. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed played crucial roles in guiding the team to victory.

No One Really Cares About the Perfect Game - Will Jacks

Will Jacks said that England do not need to play a perfect game to win the T20 World Cup. He stated that results matter more than flawless performances, especially in T20 cricket. The all-rounder added that such performances are very hard to achieve.

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"Well, short answer is no. We've won six out of seven games and we've qualified for a semi-final. At the end of the day, no one really cares [about the perfect game]," Jacks said.

"We obviously want to play well in there, but we're not gutted that we haven't played the perfect game because we're winning. And that's T20 cricket, that's professional sport. It's also incredibly hard to do that," he added.

We’ve Kept a Calm and Clear Head - Will Jacks

Will Jacks said that England’s strength has been their ability to stay calm during important moments and make the right decisions, which has helped them handle pressure situations well.

"You're playing against a very strong side who have prepared as well as you, and they know what they're trying to do and they're also trying to play the 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," Jacks stated.

I Knew We Needed to Do Something Special - Will Jacks

The 27-year-old admitted that he felt nervous during the chase after seeing Sri Lanka struggle against New Zealand’s spinners on the same pitch while chasing a similar target. Jacks stated that the pressure eased when Rehan Ahmed attacked Glenn Phillips in the 18th over, which went for 22 runs.

"I knew that was a big task," Jacks said. "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."

"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."

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