Jacob Bethell will win his first international call-up on Monday, as England announce their squads to face Australia in white-ball series next month and continue the move away from the players who led England to two World Cup triumphs.
Vice-captain Moeen Ali, who was part of the England squad that won the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2022, is among the senior players most under threat. Jonny Bairstow, who was integral to the 2019 triumph but missed the 2022 win with injury, also faces losing his place after poor tournaments in both last year’s ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup in June. For both players their ages – Moeen is 37, Bairstow turns 35 next month – counts against them.
Liam Livingstone also faces an anxious wait before the squads are announced. He is more likely to regain his place in the T20 squad than in ODIs.
Another question concerns Joe Root. England moved on from Root in T20 cricket in 2019, but he has remained part of the full-strength ODI side ever since and boasts a phenomenal record in the format, averaging 47.6 with a strike rate of 87.
With Root 33, and England playing another eight Test matches this year, the ODI series against Australia could be used to give him a rare break in his schedule. But the five ODIs are an essential part of England’s preparation for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February, when they will be under pressure to improve on their poor showings in the last two global events.
Alongside Bethell, the 20-year-old Warwickshire batting all-rounder, Saqib Mahmood could also feature. Mahmood played in two Tests in 2022 and has spent most the period since injured, but was player of the match as Oval Invincibles won the Hundred final earlier this month. Jofra Archer, who appeared for England in the T20 World Cup but is not yet fit enough to play Test cricket again, will win selection.
The series against Australia will be Marcus Trescothick’s first in charge as interim coach, following the sacking of Matthew Mott. Trescothick has not ruled out becoming the permanent white-ball head coach, and will be a major contender for the job if England perform strongly against Australia. The first game of the T20 series is on September 11, the day after the final Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval finishes and is followed by five ODIs.
The congested schedule will limit the availability of multi-format players for the T20 series. Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith – who is still uncapped in the format – would all feature in the T20 squad if available.
Andrew Flintoff will not be a part of England’s backroom team for the clashes against Australia, as Telegraph Sport first revealed. Instead, Trescothick will lead a new backroom coaching room. The former Somerset batsman will continue to work with the England Test side as assistant coach until the early stages of the third Test against Sri Lanka, before turning his attention to the white-ball side.
After missing the Hundred, captain Jos Buttler is expected to return from his calf injury for Lancashire in their T20 Blast quarter-final at Sussex on September 4, as ESPNcricinfo reported.
Bethell, who is 20, grew up in Barbados and is renowned for his power-hitting from No6 in the order. In Barbados, Bethell has spent time with Sir Garfield Sobers, who used to play alongside his grandfather.
“There was a lot of flair in his cricket which I try and emulate,” Bethell told Telegraph Sport this month. “The dream is to play Test cricket for England.”
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