LONDON: Jacob Bethell is set to become England’s youngest international men’s cricket captain after the 21-year-old was named on Friday as skipper for next month’s T20 international series in Ireland.
The talented Warwickshire all-rounder is regarded as one of the rising stars of the English game, even though he has still to score his first professional century in any format.
Bethell, however, has still been appointed to lead England in a three-match T20 series against Ireland in Dublin, which will serve as part of the team’s preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Should all go according to plan, he will become England’s youngest men’s captain in an international match, breaking the record of Monty Bowden, who was 23 years and 144 days old when he led England in a Test against South Africa at Cape Town in 1888/89.
Bethell has featured in just four Test matches but has become a white-ball regular with 13 Twenty20 appearances and 12 One-day Internationals to his credit since making his T20 bow in September last year.
“Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage,” said England selector Luke Wright.
Bethell’s most recent international appearance was in the fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval earlier this month, where, having replaced injured red-ball captain Ben Stokes, he managed scores of just six and five, while not taking a wicket with his left-arm spin.
England lost a thrilling match by just six runs as India ended a gripping five-Test series all square at 2-2.
The series in Ireland will kick off after England’s tour of South Africa for three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and three T20 matches, starting September 2.
The all-format quartet of Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have also been rested from the Ireland series as they take a breather ahead of the upcoming showpiece Ashes campaign.
Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are not in any of the three squads as they prepare for the tour of Australia, with the first Test in Perth starting on Nov 21.
Wood had knee surgery in March and missed the whole of the Test series against India.
Right-arm fast bowler Sonny Baker has earned his first national team call-up for the ODIs against South Africa after the 22-year-old impressed selectors with his performance for England Lions and in domestic cricket.
England will travel to New Zealand in October for a white-ball tour, followed by five tests in Australia from November.
Squads:
ODI v South Africa: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith.
T20 v South Africa: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood.
T20 v Ireland: Jacob Bethell (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.
Fixtures: England v South Africa ODIs (1200 GMT unless stated) Sep 02: 1st ODI, Headingley, Leeds Sep 04: 2nd ODI, Lord’s, London Sep 07: 3rd ODI, Rose Bowl, Southampton (1000 GMT); England v South Africa T20s (1730 GMT unless stated) Sep 10: 1st T20, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Sep 12: 2nd T20, Old Trafford, Manchester Sep 14: 3rd T20, Trent Bridge, Nottingham (1330 GMT)
Ireland v England T20s (all at Malahide, Dublin, 1230 GMT) Sep 17: 1st T20 Sep 19: 2nd T20 Sep 21: 3rd T20.
Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025
