Jacob Bethell will miss England’s white-ball tour of Australia after a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old has not played since England’s one-day series win over India in July, when he felt discomfort in his knee while scoring 91 at Lord’s. He had surgery in September and travelled to Australia in anticipation of a return, but a scan on his right knee has now ruled him out of the tour. “Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the white-ball tour of Australia following a scan on his right knee,” the ECB said.
Bethell, a left-handed batter who also bowls left-arm spin, had been in line for a prominent role on the tour after establishing himself in England’s white-ball sides. His absence leaves a hole in the middle order, and England have moved quickly to cover it, calling up James Coles and Eddie Jack to the ODI squad as replacements for Bethell and fast bowler Josh Tongue, who was already out with a left big toe injury.
England begin the three-match ODI series on Friday, followed by five T20 internationals, before they travel to South Africa for a Test series starting on December 17. With Tongue already sidelined, the two call-ups will be tested early, and the opening ODI will be the first chance to see how the reshaped squad holds up against Australia.
The setback is a bitter blow for Bethell personally. He was only last week named in England’s Test squad for the South Africa series after returning from the knee problem, with uncapped Liam Patterson-White also called up and Shoaib Bashir dropped. The ECB has not said whether the latest scan affects his availability for the Tests in December, and for now the focus is on getting the knee right.
Bethell’s recall to the Test squad had been one of the talking points of last week’s announcement, which also saw Patterson-White called up as a second spinner after taking 42 wickets at 25.11, the most by a spinner in Division One, while Ollie Pope was dropped and Jack Leach passed over. Joe Root will captain the side, with the series opening at the Wanderers on December 17 in what is new head coach Andy Fleming’s first assignment in charge of the Test team.
His last competitive appearance came in July, and the September surgery had been expected to clear him for the Australian summer. Instead, Bethell will sit out the white-ball leg entirely, and England must now plan without one of their most versatile young cricketers for the ODI and T20I series that open the tour.
Related:
- England Drop Shoaib Bashir for South Africa Tests as Jacob Bethell Returns and Liam Patterson-White Earns Maiden Call-Up — https://t20star.com/england-drop-shoaib-bashir-for-south-africa-tests-as-jacob-bethell-returns-and-liam-patterson-white-earns-maiden-call-up/
- Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway and Tom Blundell Named in New Zealand’s 14-Man Test Squad for India Series — https://t20star.com/rachin-ravindra-devon-conway-and-tom-blundell-named-in-new-zealands-14-man-test-squad-for-india-series/
