Atherton questions Jacob Bethell`s decision to prioritise IPL over Zimbabwe Test

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton feels that all-rounder Jacob Bethell should have been picked in the national team for the Test match against Zimbabwe.

Further, he questioned Bethell`s feature in IPL 2025 before returning to play for the country.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast, Atherton said, “My own view is that Bethell should have been picked. That is the point of an England central contract – that you have got control over your players.”

“If you are going to put a player on a full central contract – Bethell had been moved from an incremental contract to a full deal after doing so well in New Zealand – then bring your player back,” added the 57-year-old.

Earlier, England named their 13-man squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe. The match is scheduled to be played from May 22 onwards at the Trent Bridge.

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Jocob Bethell missed the cut in the national team as he is currently representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025. So far, featuring in two matches, the left-handed batsman has scored 66 runs, including one half-century.

Amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) has suspended the IPL 2025 for one week.

Further, Atherton feels that international matches should be prioritised over domestic leagues.

“It is a Test match. It is an international fixture, and international fixtures should have priority over domestic franchise competition.

“I know the policy is that players should see through their IPL deals, but I do not particularly agree with it,” he concluded his point.

So far, representing the “Three Lions” in three longest format matches, Bethell has accumulated 260 runs with an average of 52.00. The 21-year-old also has three half-centuries to his name.

In his absence, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley will keep their spots safe in England`s playing eleven.

England squad for Zimbabwe Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, James Rew, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.

(With ANI Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day