Bethell will become the youngest men's England captain
On Friday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced three squads for their upcoming white-ball assignments against South Africa and Ireland. Jacob Bethell was named as the captain of the T20I side for the Ireland series, for which the all-format players are rested.
England are set to play three ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa next month. Following that, they will travel to Ireland for three T20Is. With the regular white-ball skipper Harry Brook rested against Ireland, Bethell will become the youngest men’s captain ever to lead England.
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Not long ago Phil Salt was a permanent fixture in both England white-ball setups. But now he finds himself out of the ODI side and his spot in the shorter format also looks uncertain. The team management handing over the reins to Bethell was the biggest sign of it.
Salt arguably has better credentials to lead the side. He led England in two T20Is last year against Australia in the absence of Jos Buttler. He is currently leading Manchester Originals in The Hundred.
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In June, Salt was omitted from the fifty-over side that faced West Indies. England had given him a long run but an average of just 31.75 meant their patience ran out. He later missed the T20I series versus the Windies due to personal leave. To his misfortune, Jamie Smith made his chances count. And now missing out on captaincy could be a wake-up call to him.
England chose Jamie Smith as their new opener in the ODI setup and see him as a long-term option at the top in both white-ball formats. He is 25 years of age and offers a bigger upside compared to Salt. It also helps that he has a proven record in red-ball cricket, making him a more complete batter.
Smith has opened the batting in the shorter format four times this year. He has struck 154 runs in those innings at an incredible strike rate of 181.
BACK-TO-BACK SIXES 🙌
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 14, 2025
Jamie Smith is here 👀#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/5X1Ec6Ym19
Since the start of 2024, Salt has amassed over 2,300 runs at an average of 31 while striking at 161. While these are good numbers, he has struggled for consistency. His game against high quality bowling attacks can also be a concern.
As England build up towards the T20 World Cup 2026, both players are likely to be in a direct shootout for the second opening spot alongside Ben Duckett.
