Eddie Jack on faith and Easter

Hampshire bowler, Eddie Jack, will celebrate Easter just 35 miles from his local church in Wimborne, Dorset this year, as Hampshire host Essex in their opening Rothesay County Championship match. But having spent a winter in Australia and the UAE with the England Lions, the fast bowler has spoken to the PCA about how his Christian faith has helped him connect to new people and places across the world.

Two months ago, on tour in Abu Dhabi, Eddie Jack left the team hotel and found Grace Church, its doors open to the sheer Emirati heat.

Jack said: “It was incredible.

“We went into this small little room, low ceiling, crammed in, but it was just so joyful.

“It was massively multicultural. There must have been about 25-30 countries represented in this small room, all sharing in a common belief. It was really special.

“I’ve experienced the same thing in multiple different continents. In Stellenbosch in South Africa, in Brisbane and Perth in Australia.

“It’s been really cool to see the continual thread of the gospel across the world and different people from different backgrounds celebrating the same thing.”

Christianity has been a constant for the 20-year-old, whose father works as a school chaplain. For the Jack family, Easter usually means the weekend spent at their local church in Wimborne, The Lantern.

Jack said: “Good Friday tends to be a bit more reflective, a bit more focussed on the cross. We might read a Bible passage and sing a few songs, but generally there’s a more respectful, thankful tone.

“Then Easter Sunday is very much a big family gathering. Often everyone has to spill outside into the car park because the Church building’s just not big enough for everyone who comes.

“There are a lot of songs and sometimes we do a few baptisms, which is a bit of a local church tradition. It’s a lot of joy basically, just really focused on what it means for us that we believe that Jesus rose from the dead.”

Having signed an ECB development contract in late 2025, Jack has been marked as one of the leading young seam-bowlers in the country. Standing at 6ft 4in and bowling with genuine pace, his dismissals for the Lions have included Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, a sign of his potential on the international stage.

As the Hampshire bowler draws more attention, however, his Easter weekends are increasingly likely to be spent in spikes, either in Southampton or further afield.

“For me, when I’m away for long periods of time it can be really difficult to stay connected. There’s no real way to replicate being there 12 months of the year if you’re away for nine months.

“Different churches have different options and ways of dealing with it. Some have small group gatherings midweek where you might get 10-15 people meeting regularly.

“But even growing up, a lot of sport and a lot of cricket happens on a Sunday morning, so you’re often at church in your cricket kit and speeding off at the last second.”

As attending the Lantern regularly and spending time with family become more difficult for Jack, he believes authentic interactions with others will be the most important outlet for his faith.

He said: “My personal view is that people should be able to understand whatever philosophy you hold from the way you act, certainly more so than the way you speak.

“I was really fortunate to go away on tour this winter to Australia and spend time with some lads I hadn’t come across before or had only met a couple of times. We had a great meal at a lovely steakhouse in Perth.

“It was me, Asa (Tribe), Sonny (Baker), Bash (Shoaib Bashir), and Reh (Rehan Ahmed). Asa and I are both Christian, Sonny is an agnostic, and Bash and Reh are Muslim.

“We had this brilliant conversation, where I felt we were really able to discuss these quite big questions in a way that was faithful to our own views and religions but respectful of those around us.

“I’m very cautious of imposing my faith upon people. I think authentic faith is visible.

“Hopefully, I came across with the gentleness and respect I believe in, but it was eye-opening in terms of what they believe and how they’re trying to live out their lives.”

Time spent with teammates is universal for professional cricketers. The confidence Jack has found in social situations through his faith is as important in his home dressing room as it is anywhere else.

He said: “One of the few benefits of our phones being taken away from us during games is it promotes really healthy interactions, and you’re forced to talk to people because there’s no distraction.

“There are so many opportunities as a cricketer where you’re locked up in the changing room chatting away, and you spend a whole summer with these guys, and there’s so many opportunities to connect with them.”

Whether stretched between the Lantern and Southampton this Easter, or squeezed into a packed Grace Church in Abu Dhabi, or even with teammates in a Perth steakhouse, religion has given Jack the confidence to connect to the unfamiliar, build relationships, and enjoy his life as a professional cricketer so far.

The PCA takes pride in the diverse nature of its members. Occasions like Easter allow players to share their stories with their fellow cricketing colleagues, allowing others to learn more about the culture and heritage of their peers.