Jacob Bethell gives England ‘headache’, says Brendon McCullum
Head coach Brendan McCullum says Jacob Bethell has given England his choice.
The 21-year-old is playing his first Test series in New Zealand, effectively replacing wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who is on paternity leave.
Bethell scored three half-centuries, including England’s highest score of 76 on the fourth and final day in a humiliating 423-run defeat in the third Test at Hamilton. Score.
“It’s a real headache,” McCallum told BBC Sport. “That’s what you want. You want that conversation, you don’t want to be looking around for talent.
“We’ve had a few months to figure out what we’re doing.”
England’s first-choice wicketkeeper Smith’s place was due to be taken by Jordan Cox for the New Zealand series, but Cox broke his thumb days before the first Test.
England reshuffled the deck and handed the gloves to Ollie Pope, who slipped to sixth in the batting order. Bethel is ranked third despite never batting higher than fourth in his first-class career and not having a century in professional cricket.
He seized the opportunity, scoring an unbeaten 50 in the first Test match at Christchurch and 96 in the victory at Wellington. Together with his knock against Hamilton, all three scores of 50 or more came in the second innings.
Bethell became the second England batsman after Sir Alastair Cook to hit 50 runs in the same series three times before turning 22.
Captain Ben Stokes has previously said he wants England to revert to their original line-up when Smith comes on, with goalkeeper Smith in the middle and Pope at number three.
But McCullum has now suggested Bethell could force England to review their options, as they did after their series defeat in India earlier this year. Their next Test is against Zimbabwe in May.
