England Criticised As RCB Youngster Picks IPL Over Test: 'Bring Your Player...'

England Criticised As RCB Youngster Picks IPL Over Test: 'Bring Your Player...'

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News18.com

Last Updated: May 12, 2025, 09:33 IST

Former England captain Mike Atherton reminded the ECB that they have control over players who have been handed full contracts.

Jacob Bethell (right) waits alongside Virat Kohli ahead of the start of RCB innings. (BCCI Photo)

England will warm-up for their upcoming five-match Test series against India at home in June this year with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month. The contest, a four-day affair, isn’t part of the ICC World Test Championship, will be played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from May 22.

England have named a 13-man squad, led by Ben Stokes, for the contest. Former captain Mike Atherton though has criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for not picking the highly rated young allrounder Jacob Bethell for the fixture as he’s currently plying his trade in the IPL 2025 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Bethell, 21, made his Test debut during the three-match series in New Zealand earlier this year where he scored three half-centuries as England won 2-1.

“My own view is that Bethell should have been picked," Atherton told Sky Sports. “That’s the point of an England central contract – that you’ve got control over your players. If you’re going to put a player on a full central contract – Bethell had been moved from an incremental contract to a full deal after doing so well in New Zealand – then bring your player back."

Atherton said international matches should take precedence over franchise tournament.

“It’s a Test match. It’s an international fixture and international fixtures should have priority over domestic franchise competition. I know the policy is players should see through their IPL deals, but I don’t particularly agree with it," he said.

Atherton said the decision to allow Bethell to see through his IPL deal though helped England avoid a selection headache.

Bethell made his Test bow in New Zealand thanks to Jamie Smith absent due to paternity leave and an injury to Jordan Cox.

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Smith though is back while another injury has pushed Cox back to the sidelines. With Bethell not available, the duo of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope – both struggling for runs – have kept hold of their places.

“In many ways, it saved the selectors from a very difficult call. Bethell looked to the manner born in New Zealand but then they would have had the tricky decision as Smith obviously comes back. They could bring Bethell into the squad but I’m not sure they will because they are probably happy not to have the difficult call yet," Atherton wrote.

First Published: May 12, 2025, 09:33 IST

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