CHRISTCHURCH: England captain Ben Stokes defended Jacob Bethell’s selection in the team’s playing XI for the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand, scheduled to commence on Thursday.
England on Tuesday, unveiled their lineup for the opening, with Warwickshire’s Bethell slotted to bat at number three despite having never fulfilled the role in first-class cricket as the visitors were forced to reshuffle their batting line-up after Jordan Cox suffered a thumb injury in the nets on Sunday morning.
The 21-year-old, who impressed in England’s recent white-ball tour of West Indies with three half-centuries, boast a modest first-class record.
He scored 738 runs in 30 innings at a dismal average of 25.44 with just five half-centuries to his name. He will become the first specialist batter to represent England in Tests without scoring a first-class century after Mike Gatting in 1978.
Meanwhile, England Test captain Stokes, while addressing the pre-series press conference, asserted that he can understand the concerns regarding Bethell’s selection but insisted the 21-year-old has the potential to have a positive impact on the touring side.
“You can totally understand it, but you've got to be true to yourself when you get given the opportunity to be able to make decisions,” said Ben Stokes.p>
"We've always done what we feel is right for the team. It's gone in our favour quite a lot, so I think we do know what we're doing. We're not picking people just to wind people up. We do know what we're doing.p>
"We do know what we look for, and when you're in a position to make decisions you've got to do it by your standards and your means. Beth's got the capability to be able to go out there, bat three and hopefully impact the game, like he has done throughout the summer in the white-ball team."
- Ben Stokes