Jacob Bethell is set to become England’s youngest international captain as he leads the team in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland starting September 17. At just 21 years old, Bethell will surpass the record previously held by former England cricketer Monty Bowden, who captained the side at 23. The all-rounder has played 13 T20Is for England so far.
Taking over the captaincy from Harry Brook, Bethell expressed how honored he feels about this opportunity. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said, “Yeah, quite a day. Obviously, finding out is kind of the first emotion that comes is pride. Um, yeah, captain in England is obviously going to be an honour, and I can’t wait to do it. Yeah, definitely. Um, obviously getting picked for England’s always an honour. But yeah, we had a great series against West Indies at the start of this summer.”
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Bethell also shared how Ben Stokes has inspired him as a leader. He aims to emulate Stokes’ style of leading by example, saying, “I think a big thing I’ve noticed with Stokesy is that he leads with actions. He’s always kind of the guy that takes the precedence and takes the situation on himself. So I’ll be looking to do that as much as possible.”
Adding to that, Bethell noted, “Obviously, he does it in a bit of a different way with bowling, bowling fast and stuff like that, but I’ll try and be doing that with a bat and ball and in the field as much as possible. But yeah, I think the biggest thing is trying to lead by example.”
Bethell’s Young Career
To date, Bethell has made 29 international appearances for England, with the majority in T20Is and the fewest in Tests. In the shortest format, he has scored 281 runs and taken four wickets. His leadership skills and performance will be closely watched as he takes charge against Ireland.
England’s squad for the T20I series against Ireland includes 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, and Luke Wood.
Youngest Skipper For England
Jacob Bethell has become the youngest captain England has ever had across all formats, breaking a record that stood for nearly 136 years. At just 21 years old, this achievement underscores his swift rise in international cricket, especially considering he made his debuts in all three formats only last year. Bethell’s appointment as captain for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland is due to regular skipper Harry Brook’s unavailability. Brook will be leading England in the ODIs and T20Is against South Africa scheduled earlier in the month. With this appointment, Bethell surpasses Monty Bowden, who previously held the record as England’s youngest captain at age 23, having led the team in a Test in South Africa in 1889 after skipper Aubrey Smith fell ill. Bethell will captain a strong England squad in Ireland that includes experienced players like former captain Jos Buttler.
The T20I series against Ireland is set to take place at Malahide in Dublin on September 17, 19, and 21. Before that, South Africa will tour England for a three-match ODI series from September 2 to 7, followed by a three-match T20I series from September 10 to 14.