Courtesy: ECB
Jacob Bethell, the England batter, is doubtful to make the final squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan and the UAE. The 21-year-old sustained a left hamstring injury during the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series against India in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6, and three days later, he was left out of England’s playing XI for the second game, which is currently underway in Cuttack.
Notably, after Jacob Bethell went down due to the hamstring injury, the England team management called up Tom Banton, 26, as his cover for the third and final ODI of the series, which will be played on Wednesday, February 12 in Ahmedabad. The Warwickshire cricketer has already undergone scans on his injured hamstring, but he will be assessed by the medical team once again next week, to decide his future as far as the Champions Trophy is concerned, according to a BBC Sport report.
With that, Jacob Bethell’s participation in the upcoming ICC tournament hangs in the balance, especially because England have to announce their final squad by February 12. Moreover, England are scheduled to open their Champions Trophy campaign in a Group B match against arch-rivals Australia on February 22, which will be played at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Jacob Bethell could turn out to be a major miss for England in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to his ability to not only bat, but also provide quality overs of left-arm spin, especially on turning pitches in Pakistan and the UAE.
Below is the preliminary squad of England for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
