Ben Stokes said he can understand why some people may have concerns about handing Jacob Bethell his Test debut at number three against New Zealand but the England captain has no doubts the 21-year-old can have a positive impact on the side.
Bethell will bat at three for the first time in first-class cricket when he makes his Test debut at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval today.
He has impressed in shorter formats, making his Twenty20 and one-day international debuts in September, and has five half-centuries in first-class cricket but has never batted higher than number four in red-ball cricket.
Asked if the decision to play Bethell at three could be divisive, Stokes told reporters on Wednesday: “You can totally understand it, but you’ve got to be true to yourself when you get given the opportunity to be able to make decisions. We’ve always done what we feel is right for the team. It’s gone in our favour quite a lot, so I think we do know what we’re doing. We’re not picking people just to wind people up. We do know what we’re doing.
“We do know what we look for, and when you’re in a position to make decisions you’ve got to do it by your standards and your means. Beth’s got the capability to be able to go out there, bat three and hopefully impact the game, like he has done throughout the summer in the white-ball team.”
Following an injury to wicketkeeper Jordan Cox, Ollie Pope will take the gloves and drop down the order to bat at six with Bethell coming in ahead of Joe Root. The England captain also spoke about his decision not to take part in IPL auction, saying he wants to prolong his Test career.
“(There is) just so much cricket,” Stokes told BBC Sport. “There’s no hiding behind the fact that I’m at the back-end of my career. I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that.
“(It is about) prioritising games and when I do play - obviously I’m in South Africa this year - so it’s about looking at what I’ve got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can.”