He made 260 runs in three games on the New Zealand tour.
England are dealing with few questions as they gear up to host India in a five-match Test series, starting from June 20. Just hours away from the first Test at Headingley, England are yet to decide on their no. 3 batter.
Jacob Bethell and Ollie Pope are vying for that spot, with the rest of the batting line-up pretty much set. Understandably, it is a tough decision to make. Pope has been the designated number three for a couple of years and has done a solid job. On the other hand, Bethell has immense talent and a higher ceiling.
The England captain Ben Stokes had stated ahead of the recent Zimbabwe Test that Jacob Bethell is likely to be back in the playing XI for the India Test series. However, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope hitting centuries in that one-off Test complicated the situation.
England managing director for men’s cricket, Rob Key recently gave his opinion on the Telegraph‘s podcast. He said having multiple quality options for one spot is not an issue but a luxury.
“I don’t see it as a problem, really. You’ve got two brilliant players that can do that role. Ollie Pope’s been fantastic in that tough spot; he played brilliantly in New Zealand… alright, he was in a different role, but we’ve got two brilliant options in those spots,” said Key.
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Pope has a superb record batting at number three, with over 2000 runs at an average of 43.06 and strike rate of 75.49. These numbers highlight that he has been an important cog in the Bazball set-up. Bethell, on the other hand, batted at three on the New Zealand tour and did well. He returned with 260 runs at an average of 52 and strike rate of 75.
There was some criticism when Bethell stayed back in India for the Indian Premier League (IPL) while the Zimbabwe Test was on. Key said that he might not have played even if he was available, hinting that England sees Pope as the first choice option.
“I don’t think [that] the careers of Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell are defined by what happens this week, or whether he came back to play the Zimbabwe Test. He may not have played that Test match,” he said.
Key also understands that Bethell playing in the IPL was a good experience for the 21-year-old youngster.
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