Jacob Bethell, a 21-year-old all-rounder from Warwickshire, is set to make history as England’s youngest-ever men’s international cricket captain. He was named skipper for next month’s three-match T20 international series against Ireland in Dublin. The series will serve as part of England’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
If all goes as planned, Bethell will break a record that has stood since 1888/89, when Monty Bowden led England in a Test match at the age of 23 years and 144 days. Despite not having scored a professional century yet, Bethell is considered one of the rising stars of English cricket. He has already become a regular in white-ball cricket, with 13 T20 appearances and 12 One-Day Internationals since his T20 debut last September.
England selector Luke Wright praised Bethell, stating, “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.”
However, not everyone agrees with the decision. Former England captain Michael Vaughan called the decision to select Bethell for the fifth and deciding Test against India “diabolical.” Bethell had replaced the injured Ben Stokes in the match and had poor scores of six and five. Vaughan noted that Bethell had faced only 67 balls in red-ball cricket this season and had just 32 runs, making the call-up “unfair” to the young player.
Jacob Bethell Named England’s Youngest Men’s T20I Captain
