LONDON, England, CMC – Barbadian all-rounder Jacob Bethell will not feature in England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe on May 22 because of his commitment to Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Bethell was not named in a 13-member squad, which will be played at Trent Bridge, after being permitted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to continue playing in the IPL.
Bethell, 21, has played three Test matches in his young career, scoring 260 runs at an average of 52.
The decision to allow Bethell to remain in the IPL comes after crossed wires last year prompted short-notice withdrawals from the play-offs and franchise frustration. This led to the ECB making a commitment to the BCCI that England players will be fully available.
Pacer Mark Wood and veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes will both miss the Test because of injuries, while the uncapped duo of Sam Cook and Jordan Cox have been named in the squad.
Squad
ENGLAND: Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
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