Jacob Bethell Called Up to England's Test Squad for New Zealand Tour
His addition marks the only change to the 16-man squad that faced a 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan last week. Jordan Cox, who was previously an unused batting reserve, has also been included and is expected to make his Test debut as wicketkeeper in Smith's absence.
Jacob Bethell, the talented allrounder from Warwickshire, has been included in England's Test squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand. This comes as a significant change, with Bethell stepping in to replace Jamie Smith, who will be on paternity leave and missing the entire trip.
Bethell, who recently celebrated his 21st birthday, made a notable impact during his white-ball debut against Australia in September. His standout performance included a match-winning knock of 44 runs off just 24 balls in the second T20I at Cardiff. Despite this promising start in limited-overs cricket, he has played only 20 County Championship matches in his career so far and is yet to secure a first-class century.
His addition marks the only change to the 16-man squad that faced a 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan last week. Jordan Cox, who was previously an unused batting reserve, has also been included and is expected to make his Test debut as wicketkeeper in Smith's absence.
The England Test squad for the New Zealand tour is as follows:
- Ben Stokes (captain)
- Rehan Ahmed
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- Jacob Bethell
- Harry Brook
- Brydon Carse
- Jordan Cox
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Jack Leach
- Ollie Pope
- Matthew Potts
- Joe Root
- Olly Stone
- Chris Woakes
The addition of Bethell signals a fresh approach for England as they look to bounce back from their recent series defeat and make a strong impression in New Zealand. More updates on the squad and preparations for the tour are anticipated as the team gears up for the upcoming challenge.
