‘What he has done to deserve the keys to the entire kingdom' Michael Atherton on Jacob Bethell's ascendancy to England's captaincy
'The captaincy is a red herring, though. Ben Stokes and Harry Brook are going nowhere and if this experience is part of long-term planning, then fair enough — although they have to be careful that Bethell doesn't start to wonder what he has done to deserve the keys to the entire kingdom,' Atherton wrote in his column in The Times. 'The bigger issue is his lack of cricket. The speed of the promotion means that Bethell, uniquely among recent England batsmen, has missed a stage of his development … The difference for Bethell this year is that he has been carrying the drinks in Tests, so his opportunities in the middle have been extremely limited.'
Atherton then writes that Bethell has just faced 441 balls this year across games in all formats. 'For a young player making his way that is insufficient; that balance of short-form cricket versus first-class or 50-over cricket is out of kilter. The management of a young player is far more challenging than in years gone by because of the commercial opportunities available to them. Playing in the Indian Premier League is more beneficial than playing early-season county cricket, but sitting on the bench, as Bethell did? That is a harder argument to make. Players are allowed to stay in the IPL for the duration, unless they decide, as Brook did, to relinquish the opportunity, but this decision should not be left to the player alone.'
Bethell is set to beat the existing record for youngest England captain held by Monty Bowden who was 23 when he led in a Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 1888-89. 'Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads,' said the national selector, Luke Wright. 'The series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage.' Bethell got the opportunity against Ireland as Harry Brook plans to take a break after the one-day and T20 series against South Africa.
Atherton put it in perspective when he wrote, 'It is a startling further rise for Bethell, whose advancement far outstrips his achievements thus far. It is hard to think of another England cricketer promoted to a top job so rapidly: yet to make a professional hundred, he is central to England's thinking in all three formats as well as enjoying various franchise gigs. Now the captaincy.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Confident of proving my mettle in Asia Cup: Rinku Singh
1 2 3 4 Fazal Khan Lucknow: After middle-order batter Rinku Singh on Tuesday managed to hold on to his place in the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup , he said that his preparation is going well and he is determined to prove his mettle in the tournament. Talking to TOI while attending a practice session at sports galaxy ground, Rinku said, "This is the first time that I've got the opportunity to play in a multi-national tournament. Last year, I missed out on the T20 World Cup. If I am given the chance to play in the eleven, I will give my best." "My preparation is going well. Recently, I played a lot of practice matches ahead of the UPT20 League for my franchise, Meerut Mavericks, in Noida. I scored two fifties there which has infused a lot of confidence in me," he said. Asked about his playing position, he said, "Let me make it clear that I am not a finisher. Indian Premier League-2023 was the best phase of my career, and in that season, I batted at number 5. I scored runs for the team, and when I played for India, I also played at number 5 and scored three fifties for Team India. I have no inhibitions about batting on any position." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Highest Paying Degrees For 2025 Best Paying Degrees | Search Ads Learn More Undo Speaking about his experience with the ball, Rinku said, "Cricket has become fast-paced and selectors believe that if a player has both bowling and batting skills, it benefits the team. All-rounders are given preference in the team. I bowl quite a bit in the domestic circuit and have taken many wickets. I have also taken wickets internationally. I have been bowling for a while, though not as much, but now, I am prepared for it. " Of the 33 T20I matches Rinku has played for Team India, he did not get to bat in nine matches, and remained not out on as many as nine occasions. He has three half centuries to his credit, having made 546 runs at an average of 46 per innings at a strike rate of 161. Speaking about India's prospects in the Asia Cup, he said: "We are confident that we will win the tournament. Winning Asia Cup will be as good for me as for anyone else." On the ongoing UPT20 league, he said, "I thank 'Rajeev (Shukla) sir' and UPCA for successfully conducting the tournament for the third consecutive year. The tournament gives 10-12 prospective cricketers for IPL every year. Those who perform well in UPT20 League have better chances to be roped in by IPL franchises." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Bring glory back to Chinnaswamy: Venkatesh Prasad promises in KSCA election bid
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad has vowed to restore the lost charm of Bengaluru's iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as he formally announced his candidature for the upcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections. His remarks come at a time when the stadium, once regarded as a jewel in Indian cricket, has been overshadowed by safety concerns and the loss of international 2025 IPL celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden title at Chinnaswamy were marred by a stampede, forcing authorities to review safety protocols. Adding to that, the BCCI recently shifted Women's World Cup matches away from the venue, citing lapses in crowd management. Against this backdrop, Prasad, along with his panel led by former KSCA secretary Santosh Menon and long-serving administrator Mruthyunjaya, has promised sweeping reforms to bring international cricket back to Bengaluru.'That's something that shouldn't have happened, honestly. We have to be very proactive in liaisoning with the government. We have to ensure that matches are played in Chinnaswamy Stadium as soon as possible,' Prasad said during his campaign launch. He further stressed the importance of reclaiming the venue's stature.'We need to bring back the lost glory as far as the stadium is concerned. We would like to bring back international cricket. It's such an iconic venue, standing for the last 50 years. This is something which has never happened where the international matches have been moved out. It is not a good thing.' Prasad saidBeyond restoring matches, Prasad's panel has also outlined ambitious plans for the former India bowler also spoke about reviving domestic structures that have suffered in recent years.'There's no structure with men's cricket or women's cricket in Karnataka, or even for the banks and industries. Those matches have not happened in the last few years,' he added, promising to strengthen grassroots competitions," he the KSCA polls drawing closer, Prasad's entry has stirred conversations across Karnataka cricket. Supporters and critics alike are weighing whether his stature and reform plans can truly restore Chinnaswamy's fading reputation.- Ends
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Post real money gaming bill, questions aplenty for Indian cricket
IPL may feel aftershocks One of the knock-on effects of a blanket ban could be felt by Indian cricket, especially the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). Various IPL teams as well as the competition itself are tied up with various real money gaming firms, including Dream XI and My11Circle. Even if Indian cricket will not have a lot of problems onboarding new sponsors — if they want to go down that path — there may be some short term pain. "Fantasy gaming platforms like My11Circle and Dream11 have become heavyweight backers of Indian sports," said Santosh N, managing partner of D & P Advisory, an independent valuation company. "My11Circle has committed Rs 625 cr for an IPL associate sponsorship slot, while Dream11 has consistently backed franchises such as Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad as title or principal sponsors. My11Circle is currently an IPL associate sponsor at the league level, contributing a large share of central sponsorship revenue. Separately, Dream11 has team-level sponsorships, serving as Title Partner and Principal Partners for some teams. Together, fantasy sports brands account for hundreds of crores in sponsorship inflows, making IPL one of the most exposed properties to a potential ban." Dream11, as it stands, is the Indian team's 'lead sponsor' but that is scheduled to end after next year's men's T20 World Cup. "Banning it would strip IPL and many smaller leagues of vital funding, compress marketing budgets, and likely curb the steady upward trend in sponsorship revenues." Santosh added. My11Circle also counts a number of active Indian cricketers as their brand ambassadors. Per the bill, they can't endorse any of these products. Set for a challenge? If and when it becomes law, the gaming companies may decide to challenge its constitutionality. Sports lawyers this newspaper spoke to said that fantasy games like Dream11 are 'games of skill' according to a Supreme Court judgment a few years earlier. A Dream11 spokesperson 'declined to comment' for multiple questions raised by this mast. The bill caught a lot of industry stakeholders off guard, especially because this government's previous moves with respect to the online gaming industry was seen as favouring them. It's been reported that the government are now citing national security as well as social issues for this step.
