Jacob Bethell Joins England’s Test Squad for New Zealand Tour
England is preparing to include uncapped all-rounder Jacob Bethell in their Test squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand. This decision comes as Jamie Smith will be unavailable for part of the series due to the birth of his first child. Jordan Cox is expected to handle wicketkeeping duties in Smith’s absence, while Bethell will provide batting cover.
Bethell, 24, made his international debut in a white-ball series against Australia, impressing with a quick 44 off 24 balls in the second T20I and contributing significantly in the ODI series. Despite his promising start in international cricket, his first-class career has been modest, with an average of 25.44 and five half-centuries in 20 matches since his debut in 2021.
England’s Test management strategy currently emphasizes potential, leading to Bethell’s selection alongside players like Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir, and Rehan Ahmed, who also have limited first-class experience. Bethell is currently with the England squad in the Caribbean for a series of ODIs and T20Is starting October 31.
Born in Barbados, Bethell moved to the UK as a teenager on a scholarship and signed his first professional contract with Warwickshire in 2021. He gained attention with a remarkable 42-ball 88 in the U19 World Cup quarter-finals in 2022. England’s Test series in New Zealand will begin on November 27, concluding with the final Test on December 13.
Doubts Revealed
Jacob Bethell -: Jacob Bethell is a young cricket player who plays for England. He is an all-rounder, which means he can both bat and bowl.
Test Squad -: A Test squad is a group of cricket players selected to play in Test matches, which are the longest form of cricket games, lasting up to five days.
New Zealand Tour -: The New Zealand Tour refers to the series of cricket matches that England will play against New Zealand in New Zealand.
Uncapped -: In cricket, ‘uncapped’ means a player who has not yet played in an official international match for their country’s main team.
White-ball series -: A white-ball series in cricket refers to matches played with a white cricket ball, usually in shorter formats like One Day Internationals (ODIs) or Twenty20 (T20) games.
First-class record -: A first-class record in cricket refers to a player’s performance in first-class matches, which are longer games played over several days, similar to Test matches.
Warwickshire -: Warwickshire is a county cricket club in England. Jacob Bethell signed with this club to play domestic cricket.