Jacob Bethell says he “would love to stay at No. 3” in England’s Test line-up and stands by his decision to spend the spring with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, even though he has yet to make the playing XI.
The left-hander’s winter form – capped by a maiden Test hundred at the SCG – has pushed him to the front of the selectors’ minds across formats. Some pundits believe he could move up to open against New Zealand in June, a shift that might create room for wicketkeeper-batter James Rew in the middle order should England part company with Zak Crawley.
Speaking on the Sky Cricket podcast, Bethell stressed he is willing to adapt but made it clear where he feels most comfortable. “I’d love to stay at No. 3, if it was up to me. I really like the position,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a massive difference between No. 3 and the top. Someone like Rooty had to start and open the batting and then slid back down to No. 4. If that’s what they want me to do, I’d be more than happy to do it, but I like No. 3 and I’d love to cement that spot as mine if possible.”
For now Bethell is in India, contracted for INR 2.6 crore (around £205,000). RCB’s overseas quartet of Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewood have locked down the available slots, leaving Bethell to run drinks and act as substitute fielder. The choice has drawn criticism, most notably from former England captain Alastair Cook, who suggested the 22-year-old should be turning out for Warwickshire rather than “sitting on his arse”.
Bethell is unruffled. He argues that the quality of practice and the sheer intensity of the IPL offer benefits a county stint cannot match this early in the English season. “I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong way to do it, right?” he said. “We’ve seen last year, for me personally, that by not playing cricket for a little while, I came into the end of that India [Test] series a bit under-cooked, which was a learning for me to take on board.
“But actually, if you look at where I was last year after coming back from the IPL, I was flying going into that West Indies series, and I feel in a similar position now. I feel in a better position now than I was a month ago after the [T20] World Cup, just from getting time around the guys over here and the pure standard of cricket in India and the IPL. Every nets session, you’ve got hundreds of eyes on you, be it your coaches or the other players who are also looking at you, going, ‘Is this guy good? Is he not?’ You’ve got the people in the crowd with their phones on. You get exposed to a lot of stuff.”
County coaches tend to welcome their centrally contracted players back only in May once pitches have settled, yet Bethell’s absence still leaves Warwickshire lighter in experience. Bears head coach Mark Robinson, while keen to see his young star in county whites, admitted last week that “the schedule is what it is”, adding that Warwickshire must “make peace with the modern game”.
From England’s perspective, head coach Brendon McCullum remains relaxed. A recent ECB update confirmed that centrally contracted players are free to complete IPL commitments provided they arrive in camp two weeks before the opening Test at Lord’s on 19 June. That timeline suits Bethell; it also gives him an outside chance of a late-tournament appearance should RCB’s campaign stretch into the play-offs.
Whether or not he breaks into the XI in Bengaluru, Bethell believes the environment keeps him sharper than early-season county cricket possibly could. He accepts, though, that time in the middle is the final piece. “You might not get the amount of time in the middle a county game would give you,” he said, “but the level of training and the pressure you feel here – I reckon that balances it out.”
Bethell’s England team-mates have been supportive. James Anderson, speaking at an ECB media day, praised the youngster’s maturity. “He knows his game and what he needs. If he thinks the IPL is the best prep, good on him.”
The debate over county versus franchise cricket is unlikely to fade, especially when a player carries drinks for six weeks. Bethell, though, is clear about his priorities: nail down No. 3 for England and arrive at Lord’s ready to do the job. The rest, he believes, will look after itself.
