Southern Brave vice-captain Chris Jordan eyeing new chapter of success

The England all-rounder is speaking to the Daily Echo from Dubai in the week leading up to the release of the Brave’s retained list and his smile can barely be contained by the computer screen in front of him as he recounts his latest success, winning the inaugural International T20 tournament with Gulf Giants.

Jordan’s year has been a near-constant succession of celebration and preparation and the day after our conversation he jets off to Bangladesh, joining England’s T20 tour. He’s only going for one game but it automatically brings back memories of yet more winning – this time the big one as he and England were crowned T20 World Cup Champions in November. 

READ MORE: Southern Brave confirm Hundred retained list with notable stars returning

Despite turning 34 in October, winning has only sparked greater fire in Jordan and in his 15th year of professional cricket, he has never been hungrier than he is now, looking ahead to the Southern Brave summer. 

“In the second half of my career, I’ve been especially focused on trying to win titles,” Jordan explains to the Daily Echo of what drives him on. 

“What that takes and what that looks like within a team environment. What mindset does that take? 

“When you first start, you definitely have that competitive nature in a one-on-one setting. But then, I think the second half of my career there’s been a real focus on having something to show for it.

“Something to show for it in terms of titles and trophies and just getting really deep into what that looks like and the mindset that’s required to be consistent in doing that or to even have a chance to do it.”

England’s Chris Jordan celebrates with the trophy after winning the T20 World Cup. (Image: PA)

Those titles – including the maiden Hundred in 2021 – have started to add up in the last few years with Jordan’s laser focus yielding concrete rewards. And as lessons go for Jordan to learn and impart to his Southern Brave team, there are hardly any more thrilling nor gratifying than winning a World Cup.

“It was an amazing experience,” he recollects. “We had such a great time, spending time with each other off the field. It really translated onto the field. I promise you every single person to a man was so focused on leaving Australia with what we came for. 

“I take myself back to 2016. And we didn’t quite get over the line. And then 2021 again, when we were building nicely in the tournament and then one or two overs didn’t quite go our way. So yeah, to be able to be involved in some major tournaments over the years and finally getting our hands on the big trophy was a real special feeling. Times that you never forget.”

England and Jordan fell just short in 2016, losing to the West Indies in the final. Five years later it was semi-final elimination to New Zealand. The reality of the very top level is that the biggest victories can be fleeting and they take immense determination to actually achieve. It’s clear even from one conversation with Jordan that he gets the intangibles associated with and required for success.

A deep thinker about the game he’s dedicated his life to as well as the art of winning as a whole, Jordan is the ideal vice-captain for a Southern Brave side who are looking to reconjure memories of when they emerged victorious two years ago.

While last summer’s relative failure – at least compared to 12 months earlier – might see the Brave enter as minor outsiders, Jordan won’t be found thinking in such a way. And who can blame him? Winning tends to breed more of it, after all.

Meanwhile, a glance at the retained list released on Thursday morning will have surely altered the thoughts of any of Southern Brave’s doubters. Alongside Jordan, captain James Vince is returning as well as Jofra Archer and young England sensation Rehan Ahmed. 

It’s a mix of experience and youth with the likes of Jordan knowing exactly what it takes to go from underdog to hero alongside the fearlessness provided by young stars taking their first real steps into the professional cricket world.

The full Southern Brave retained list. (Image: Southern Brave)

“Going into that World Cup campaign, we actually didn’t go in favourites,” Jordan says, drawing on his experience with England to look ahead at the task facing the Brave. 

“By our standards, maybe we weren’t quite playing the level of cricket that we would have liked. But all the way through it was just about right, when we start our World Cup campaign, or when we start our Hundred campaign, hit the ground running, can we be in a good mental space to hit the ground running and get the team off to a good start?”

Tournament cricket is a different beast from anything else and Jordan’s job as part of the leadership of the team will be to help his teammates summon the momentum required to push through an intense summer; ideally armed with the joy of winning rather than the trudge of defeat.

“It was just about trying to really build that continuity,” Jordan says of the thinking behind this year’s retained list. 

“Having been involved in team environments and loads of franchise cricket over the years, I think that continuity of faces and individuals really helps build that team chemistry because what happens is obviously the county season is going on and then when The Hundred starts, everyone comes together really quickly. 

“So it’s very important to try to hit the ground running and the more continuity you can get within the squad guys getting familiar with themselves, you can build that chemistry and really hit the ground running. So that was the thinking behind it. Very, very exciting list. 

“Last season didn’t quite go according to plan. So funnily enough, that list hasn’t actually played enough games on the field together to really show what we can do. So that will be the aim this year, first and foremost, to try and remain fit and stay fit. And then I think anything’s possible after that.”

Chris Jordan signs autographs and meets a collection of Southern Brave fans. (Image: Getty)

Any team will struggle to recover from the spate of injuries that hit Southern Brave last season with Archer amongst others joining Jordan on the treatment table for much of the summer.

The task now, as with everything that’s been built in Jordan’s lengthy top-level career, is to learn from those experiences and ensure the negatives are not repeated.

“When you’re in a position of being an experienced player, I think you do have a little bit of a duty to set an example and to try and bring people along with you. But it’s just in me naturally, whether I was in a leadership role in any team or not, it’s just naturally in me to try to help people and work together with people to try and achieve one goal.

“I mean just using Rehan as an example, he’s a kid who is just so full of confidence and that’s definitely something you would never want to curb. Because that’s the level of self belief and confidence that you see at the top. 

“Having come across him for the first time last year in The Hundred, seeing his enthusiasm for all facets of the game, fielding, bowling, the mental side of it…he’s well set up to go places. And after that to see him go on to make his test debut and not just participate but have a real impact as well is a credit to his mindset and his confidence as well. 

“I promise you, there off-the-charts and that’s something you never want to curb so all you can do as a man is try to guide him through certain circumstances. Even me as a more experienced player, I’m always in a learning space and just because I’ve played more games and am older, that doesn’t mean I can’t learn something off Rehan or off a younger player who is fearless with the world at their feet. That’s my mindset and I’m glad I’m in a position to aid that along.”

Not only as a leader in this group but as someone with first-hand experience of what it takes to win The Hundred, Jordan is conscious of the environment and energy he and Vince need to curate. 

Intensity and commitment are, of course, requirements. But as is enjoyment and confidence – know why you’ve gone this far and then show it on the field. He’s hoping – and expecting – that their energy is something that translates to the city of Southampton as the warm summer nights greet cricket at the Ageas Bowl.

Southern Brave celebrate victory at the inagural edition of The Hundred. (Image: PA)

“Not only does the men’s team obviously do quite well, the women’s who do really well as well,” he says. 

“Following them is actually quite a tough act because they’ve just managed to blow everyone away and really get the crowd’s appetite going for the evening. And then we have to come in and kind of try and backup that energy. And yeah, all the excitement around it is really brilliant. It’s just great to see so many families come out and support. They really do get behind us when we play at Southampton.

“We’ve been quite fortunate in the last couple of years that the weather’s been really good. And it’s kind of the perfect time of the year where the kids go on holiday and everyone just seems in such a great mood. 

“And yeah they’re not only just coming out to the stadium to watch cricket, but they end up coming and watching some real high quality cricket as well. So many exciting games over the past few seasons and some memorable moments. And hopefully we can provide a few more moments like that for them.”

Being England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the T20 format, Jordan could understandably border on cockiness if his mind flipped to that place.

But the reality is he probably wouldn’t have made it from his hometown of Bridgetown, Barbados to where he is now without a certain humbleness that’s reflected in his need to constantly improve.

Almost as if to emphasise that, Jordan casually mentions that the previous day’s NFL Super Bowl half-time show performer and global superstar Rihanna grew up at the same school in their native Bridgetown.

While Jordan no doubt understands the nature of his feat, emerging from the 183rd most-populous country in the world to reach the top of global cricket, his pride is underpinned by his desperation to do more.

Even as he reflects on the wider success of Barbadians around the world – including Rihanna – Jordan seems happier to give credit rather than take it.

“There’s so much talent, and so many talented people come from the country. It really puts the country on the map in so many different ways which is really special to see.”