Bethell ruled out of Australia tour with knee injury, SA Tests in doubt

New Delhi: England batter Jacob Bethell’s hopes of featuring in the upcoming Test series against South Africa have suffered a major setback after a recurrence of his right knee injury forced him out of the white-ball tour of Australia.

The 23-year-old, who had travelled Down Under expecting to resume playing, will return home for specialist assessment after scans revealed a fresh problem during training.

Bethell has not represented England since July, when he experienced discomfort in his knee while scoring 91 in an ODI against India at Lord’s. The injury subsequently required surgery in September, keeping him out of action for several months.

His return had appeared to be on track after he joined the England squad in Australia ahead of the three-match ODI series, which begins in Perth on Friday. However, he missed the team’s warm-up fixture against Western Australia over the weekend before suffering what England described as a setback in training earlier this week.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the development on social media, announcing changes to the squad.

“Wishing you well, Jacob. Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the white-ball tour of Australia following a scan on his right knee. James Coles and Eddie Jack have been called into the ODI squad as replacements for Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue,” England Cricket wrote on X.

Sussex all-rounder James Coles has been brought in to cover for Bethell, while uncapped fast bowler Eddie Jack joins the squad in place of Josh Tongue, who was previously ruled out with a toe injury.

The immediate concern for England, however, extends beyond the Australia assignment. After the ODIs, the teams will contest five T20 internationals before England begin their Test tour of South Africa on December 17. Bethell’s availability for that series is now uncertain, despite his inclusion in the Test squad announced on Monday.

His potential absence would also reopen selection questions in England’s batting order. Bethell’s impressive 154 in the final Ashes Test against Australia in January had strengthened his position, making him one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

England selector Marcus North had acknowledged that the team faced a difficult decision over who would make way for Bethell’s return following the home summer’s 3-0 Test series victory against Pakistan.

Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox, who occupied the opening and No. 3 positions respectively during that series, had been among those competing for places. Bethell’s injury could now give both another opportunity to establish themselves in the Test side.

Ollie Pope is another possible option. He was included as the reserve batter during the summer when Bethell was unavailable and is scheduled to be with the England Lions in South Africa. His experience could make him a candidate for promotion if Bethell fails to recover in time.

England could also look towards the Lions setup, where James Rew, who has one Test appearance, and uncapped Durham opener Ben McKinney have been producing encouraging performances on the white-ball tour of the West Indies.

The latest setback is particularly frustrating for Bethell, who had already missed The Hundred earlier this year after sustaining the knee injury during the ODI series against India. He had been appointed Birmingham Phoenix captain for the competition but was unable to take part.

With another rehabilitation period now ahead, England will await the specialist’s assessment before determining whether the young batter can feature in the South Africa Tests.