England batter Jacob Bethell is in serious doubt for the ICC Champions Trophy after suffering a left hamstring injury. The 21-year-old was sidelined from Sunday’s second ODI against India in Cuttack and is likely to miss the series decider in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
With wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith still recovering from a calf injury, England had to use coaches Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood as substitute fielders in Cuttack. To provide cover, Somerset’s Tom Banton has been called up and will arrive in India on Monday.
The severity of Bethell’s injury will be determined in the coming days, but with England set to begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia in Lahore in less than two weeks, he faces a race against time to regain fitness.
Confidence in Smith’s recovery is growing, as the Surrey wicketkeeper participated in warm-ups on Sunday. England has until February 12 to finalize replacements. Bethell impressed in the first ODI against India, scoring 51 runs and taking 1 for 18 with his left-arm spin, though England lost by four wickets.
His strong performances on his first Test tour of New Zealand in late 2024, where he scored three half-centuries with an average of 52, have made him a key player in coach Brendon McCullum’s plans for all formats.
Banton, who last played for England in 2022, has a chance to restart his international career. Though his past record is modest, he is in great form, scoring 493 runs in 11 ILT20 matches for MI Emirates, including two centuries, before his team was knocked out.
Tom Banton to Rejoin England Squad After ILT20 Heroics
Banton’s last ODI appearance was in August 2020, but he has been in impressive form in the ILT20, where he currently leads the run-scoring charts. He is set to link up with the England squad on Monday, February 10, ahead of the third and final ODI of the series.
“England Men have called up Somerset batter Tom Banton as cover for the third ODI against India in Ahmedabad, which starts on Wednesday.”
”Warwickshire batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell, who featured in the first ODI defeat in Nagpur, has sustained a left hamstring injury. The injury will be assessed further when the team arrives in Ahmedabad on Monday,” the ECB release said on Sunday, 9 February.
“Banton, who last played for England in an ODI in August 2020, has been in outstanding form in T20 franchise cricket. He is currently the leading run-scorer in the UAE ILT20 competition, where he has amassed 493 runs from 11 innings at an average of 54.77, including two centuries,” the release added.
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