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Time of India
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Jacob Bethell to become England's youngest captain; former cricketer opens up: 'A lack of respect for Ireland'
Former England cricketer has expressed concerns over Jacob Bethell's appointment as temporary captain for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland. England will play three T20Is in Dublin starting September 17. The team will be without several key players, including regular captain , who is being rested ahead of the Ashes series against Australia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Bethell, at 21, will become England's youngest international captain, surpassing Monty Bowden's 1889 record of captaining at age 23. The young all-rounder has played 29 international matches so far. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. "It's one of those ones that's quite difficult to explain, even to people like me, let alone people who have a passing interest in England's cricket teams. And therefore I don't really know what to make of it," Butcher said while speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast. "He's played next to no cricket all summer. He's 21 and he's had an entire English summer where he has been fit and has played little to no cricket of any meaning whatsoever, and here he is as England's youngest ever captain," Butcher added. Bethell first gained attention during his Test debut in New Zealand, where he performed well at number three. He later participated in England's white-ball games and opened alongside Virat Kohli in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first victory. An injury forced Bethell to miss England's Test against Zimbabwe. He returned to the team for the fifth Test against India when captain Ben Stokes was sidelined with a shoulder injury. "Whether or not it was necessary for him to miss yet more red-ball cricket and captain the England side in Ireland, and quite frankly they've stripped out all the main players from that series anyway, with notable exceptions like Jordan Cox and Liam Livingstone - who only recently captained an England white-ball team on a tour of the West Indies," Butcher said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "So, was it necessary for Jacob Bethell to take on this role and play in those games in the absence of more meaningful cricket, giving what's coming up with the Ashes? I think there's a very strong argument that that is absolutely the case yes," he added. "It shows a bit of a lack of respect for them [Ireland] and their cricket. We're not in the business of making people feel good about themselves, but it also says, 'this is a bit of a throwaway three matches that no one is really that interested in and we'll do what we jolly well like and not be too worried about whatever the consequences might be," Butcher concluded.
NDTV
26-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"How Poorly He Bowled": Ex-England Star's Brutally Honest Take On Ravindra Jadeja's Performance
Former England cricketer Mark Butcher criticised Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his poor bowling utilisation of the rough during the first Test at Leeds against England, calling it "owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist", reported Wisden Cricket Weekly. The new-look Team India failed to chase 371 runs during the Leeds Test against England, with opener Ben Duckett's swashbuckling 149 and watchful Joe Root's fifty contributing big to the team's win. During the second innings, Jadeja took 1/104 in 24 overs, getting the over of skipper Ben Stokes. However, England, particularly Duckett, neutralised Jadeja's threat very well, using the reverse sweep to their advantage. Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Butcher said about Jadeja, "I could not believe how poorly he bowled. I would liken it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead - not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary." "You talk about experience, and he has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers," he added. Butcher also slammed Team India's selection, particularly of bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, as one of the reasons why they looked ineffective, and they could have gone for spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Shardul could not get into double digits while batting and took a total of two wickets across the match, leaking runs at a high economy rate. "The issue around the lineup itself... how much more interesting might that last day have been had they gone for Kuldeep Yadav instead of Shardul Thakur. Thakur had had a really poor game until that one over where he gave India a tiny sniff at the back-end," he said. "If you are not contributing with the bat down there at No.8, you damn well be taking wickets, and be in the game as a bowler for more of the game than he was," he concluded. Coming to the match, India was put to bat first by England. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), skipper Shubman Gill (147) and Rishabh Pant (134) pushed India to 471, with Ben Stokes being the leading bowler with figures of 4/66. England also delivered a fine reply with the bat, as a century from Ollie Pope (106) and fifties from Harry Brook (99) and Ben Duckett (62) pushed them to 465, giving India a slender six-run lead. Jasprit Bumrah did take a fifer, but did not get a lot of support from other bowlers. India took a strong lead in the second innings, with centuries from KL Rahul (137) and Pant (118) taking them to 364. India led by 370 runs, but it was a lower-order collapse that prevented the lead from being even more massive. Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue took three wickets to stand out among bowlers. In the chase of 371 runs, England started off well with a 188-run stand between Zak Crawley (65) and Duckett (149). However, a few quick strikes reduced them to 253/4, placing India in a balanced spot. However, Joe Root (53*) and Jamie Smith (44*) took England home, despite two wickets each from Prasidh Krishna and Thakur. Duckett took home the 'Player of the Match' award.
India Gazette
26-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Would liken it to owning a hammer but punching nails...": Butcher slams Jadeja's bowling at Leeds
London [UK], June 26 (ANI): Former England cricketer Mark Butcher criticised Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his poor bowling utilisation of the rough during the first Test at Leeds against England, calling it 'owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist', reported Wisden Cricket Weekly. The new-look Team India failed to chase 371 runs during the Leeds Test against England, with opener Ben Duckett's swashbuckling 149 and watchful Joe Root's fifty contributing big to the team's win. During the second innings, Jadeja took 1/104 in 24 overs, getting the over of skipper Ben Stokes. However, England, particularly Duckett, neutralised Jadeja's threat very well, using the reverse sweep to their advantage. Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Butcher said about Jadeja, 'I could not believe how poorly he bowled. I would liken it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead - not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary.' 'You talk about experience, and he has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn't seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers,' he added. Butcher also slammed Team India's selection, particularly of bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, as one of the reasons why they looked ineffective, and they could have gone for spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Shardul could not get into double digits while batting and took a total of two wickets across the match, leaking runs at a high economy rate. 'The issue around the lineup itself... how much more interesting might that last day have been had they gone for Kuldeep Yadav instead of Shardul Thakur. Thakur had had a really poor game until that one over where he gave India a tiny sniff at the back-end,' he said. 'If you are not contributing with the bat down there at No.8, you damn well be taking wickets, and be in the game as a bowler for more of the game than he was,' he concluded. Coming to the match, India was put to bat first by England. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), skipper Shubman Gill (147) and Rishabh Pant (134) pushed India to 471, with Ben Stokes being the leading bowler with figures of 4/66. England also delivered a fine reply with the bat, as a century from Ollie Pope (106) and fifties from Harry Brook (99) and Ben Duckett (62) pushed them to 465, giving India a slender six-run lead. Jasprit Bumrah did take a fifer, but did not get a lot of support from other bowlers. India took a strong lead in the second innings, with centuries from KL Rahul (137) and Pant (118) taking them to 364. India led by 370 runs, but it was a lower-order collapse that prevented the lead from being even more massive. Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue took three wickets to stand out among bowlers. In the chase of 371 runs, England started off well with a 188-run stand between Zak Crawley (65) and Duckett (149). However, a few quick strikes reduced them to 253/4, placing India in a balanced spot. However, Joe Root (53*) and Jamie Smith (44*) took England home, despite two wickets each from Prasidh Krishna and Thakur. Duckett took home the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
Express Tribune
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Jason Gillespie says Pakistan head coach stint soured coaching passion
Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie says his brief and turbulent stint with the national side in 2024 has left him disillusioned with coaching, admitting he no longer wishes to pursue full-time roles—even if approached by Australia. Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Gillespie opened up about how his time in Pakistan reshaped his outlook on coaching after nearly 15 years in the profession. 'Right now, I'm not sure I'm interested in coaching full-time,' Gillespie said. 'Even if Australia comes calling—no, I'm not interested.' The former Australian fast bowler was appointed red-ball head coach of Pakistan in April 2024 but left in December following a series of internal disputes and communication issues with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He also briefly led the white-ball squad as interim coach following Gary Kirsten's exit and oversaw a rare ODI series win in Australia. Despite the on-field success, Gillespie described his time with the team as deeply frustrating, blaming internal politics and fractured leadership dynamics. In a blunt assessment, he singled out his successor, Aqib Javed, for undermining his position. 'He was a clown,' Gillespie said. 'The internal politics and lack of cohesion made the job untenable.' Gillespie said the experience had a lasting effect on his view of the profession. 'The Pakistan experience has soured my love for coaching, I'll be honest. It really disappointed me how that all ended. It's made me question whether I want to coach full-time again.' While ruling out a return to full-time coaching, Gillespie said he remains open to short-term roles, particularly in franchise leagues or as a consultant. 'I'm open to coaching in the leagues and doing some short-term work or consultancy,' he said. 'But the grind of full-time coaching—it's just not on my agenda right now.' Gillespie's remarks come at a time when Pakistan cricket continues to grapple with leadership instability and structural issues within its coaching setup.
