England have called up uncapped all-rounder Jacob Bethell for their Test tour to New Zealand next month.
Bethell is set to join the squad as cover for Jamie Smith, who will miss at least part of the series for the birth of his first child. While Jordan Cox is set to keep wicket in Smith's absence, Bethell has been called up as batting cover for the series.
Also read: England pick three spinners for New Zealand Tests, Jamie Smith to miss whole tour
The 21-year-old made his international debut this summer in England's white-ball series against Australia. He hit an eye-catching 44 off 24 balls in the second T20I, and played an important role with the ball throughout the ODI series. However, Bethell is yet to catch fire in his first-class career so far. He made his red-ball debut in 2021 and averages 25.44 from his 20 games since. He also has yet to score a hundred in the format - or indeed in any format - but does have five first-class fifties.
That record makes him the latest example of a player being selected under England's current Test management for their potential over previous achievements. His selection, while not quite as extreme, comes after the likes of Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed were called up with little previous experience of first-class cricket.
