Potential SC BBL|14 starting pick Jacob Bethell’s Round 1 availability is set to be flipped on its head with England set to offer him a surprise call-up for their Test squad.
Bethell ($117k BAT/BWL) loomed as a popular Round 1 pick, given the Gades’ double, his lower price and his ability to both bat and bowl, along with an impressive pedigree of big hitting.
England are due to play an away three-game Test series against New Zealand from November 28 to December 18, clashing with the start of BBL|14 which gets underway on December 15.
The English Cricket Board is set to announce that squad later this week and there are reports swirling in the UK that Bethell will be handed a shock maiden call-up as batting cover for Jamie Smith, who’ll miss the last two Tests to be at the birth of his son in December.
The Renegades have a Round 1 double, with fixtures on December 16 (vs Sydney Sixers in Sydney) and December 19 (vs Hobart Hurricanes in Geelong) and he’d likely miss both.
Bethell is uncapped at Test level but has played for England seven times in white ball cricket including the recent series against Australia.
His call-up is a major shock given he hasn’t reached triple figures in first-class cricket yet, which will leave the Renegades scrambling for cover.
The Gades took Bethell with pick 10 in the 2024 BBL Draft, along with ex-Scorchers bat Laurie Evans (pick 2) and NZ T20 merchant Tim Seifert (pick 23).
Left-handed bat Bethell, who bowls slow left-arm spin, bolted to fame with Birmingham Bears and Birmingham Phoenix in this year’s Vitality Blast and The Hundred, averaging 53.2 and 31.8 SC points per game this season.
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