Yes, a 2 year contract.
Yes, a 2 year contract.
As I've said before, we won't see much of him playing for the Bears for the next 10 years. He is employed by England now.
Excellent article by Nick Hoult in the Telegraph today about Bethell's performance for England yesterday - describing him as a generational talent. It has a picture of him aged 12 with academy director Paul Greentham at Edgbaston in 2013. Worth a read if you can get behind the paywall:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2025/05/29/england-vs-west-indies-live-score-latest-updates-first-odi/?WT.mc_id=e_DM596088&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_PrS_New&utmsource=email&utm_medium=Edi_PrS_New20250530&utm_campaign=DM596088
Yes, a great article. I remember seeing a (very) young Bethell turn out in a Bunbury Festival about 7 years ago. He was playing with guys a year older than him and yet, still got named as the 'Player of the Festival'. All there, thought he was destined for greater things, but that has been said about others, who eventually fell short. It seems he hasn't yet - and I can't see him disappointing anyone!
"You can take the boy out of Atherstone, but you can never take Atherstone out of the boy !"
"The Bears and the (footballing) Foxes for ever !"
Still not sure about this. I think it's still in the balance between Jacob and Pope for three - and 4 - 7 in the England order is inked in so has to be there. Pope scored a big century in his last international appearance. Stokes' slightly confused words and tetchy clarification seemed to suggest a decision hadn't been made yet. Pope's a pretty talented player too and may be around for a few years as well.
KingofSpain wrote:
As I've said before, we won't see much of him playing for the Bears for the next 10 years. He is employed by England now.
In the squad for first Test v India, along with Chris Woakes.
The thing is with Bethell is that we know he can do the 'Bazball' thing but we really have no idea what he will play like when England might be 6 down and he is batting with numbers 8-11. Has he got the patience to knock the ball around, try and take 70%+ of the strike and try and build a good total for his team. We haven't seen this side of him really and I am not sure how he would play this situation.
We actually know very little about him.
It was either a masterpiece of talent spotting by England or a punt that has so far paid off, but he hasn't got a great deal of history with Warwickshire, indeed I think his highest red ball and white scores have been at full international level. As I result, I really don't know how he goes from here. Maybe he is a one-trick pony, Bazball dasher and that's the end of it, he becomes less desirable in a more subdued situation or even era. Maybe he really does have the talent to adapt to any circumstance. Genuinely don't know.
Like I say up the feed, I also don't know if he walks straight into the test side this summer. The Bazball era seems to feauture long-term loyalty to players and Crawley and Pope both scored centuries last innings (I think he only slots in at #2 or #3). I'm 55:45 he won't play in the first test, which begs the real question of what he does do this summer.
I suppose there is also the possibility they talk up his bowling and he replaces Bashir down the order, #7 maybe...
paulbear wrote:
The thing is with Bethell is that we know he can do the 'Bazball' thing but we really have no idea what he will play like when England might be 6 down and he is batting with numbers 8-11. Has he got the patience to knock the ball around, try and take 70%+ of the strike and try and build a good total for his team. We haven't seen this side of him really and I am not sure how he would play this situation.
From memory, Notts at home and Hampshire at home from last season showed he can guts it out and play the longer innings under game situation pressure. It's a small sample size I know. The season prior I felt he was a little loose outside his off stump (I think it was 2023), he might still be. I appreciate him wanting to go the IPL, I still think at his age and career development he'd have benefited more from playing the County Championship for us though this year. The IPL, and other franchise comps, will always be there for him in the future.