Jamal Richards is originally from Edmonton, North London, attending Norlington High School in Waltham Forest; where he looked up to fellow alumni, Graham Gooch OBE.

In 2016, at the age of 11, Richards joined the Essex Academy and has since progressed through the age groups. Making his Second XI debut in 2021, where he played 12 games bowling 44 overs and taking 9 wickets at 28.56.

Richards made his first team debut in 2022 in the Royal London One Day Cup against Derbyshire, a competition in which he played all seven group stage games as Essex narrowly missed out on qualification. He would have to wait until 2023 for his First-Class debut against Ireland.

Opening the bowling from The River End of The Cloud County Ground, Richards would take his maiden professional five-wicket haul including the big scalps of captain Andrew Balbirnie and international centurion Paul Stirling.