Bethell named England's youngest captain for Ireland tour

Jacob Bethell, 21, becomes England's youngest international captain as he leads a rest-heavy T20 squad on a three-match tour of Ireland.

Bethell named England's youngest captain for Ireland tour

Jacob Bethell will lead England in September as the team tours Ireland for three Twenty20 matches. The appointment makes Bethell the youngest England captain in international cricket, breaking a record long held by Monty Bowden who was 23 years old in 1889. The call comes as England rest regular white-ball leaders, including Harry Brook, and field an understrength side for the Dublin series.

Ahead of the Ireland trip, England will also face South Africa in three one-day internationals and three more T20s. Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker earns his first call-up after showing pace and consistency in The Hundred. Fast bowler Mark Wood has been left out of all squads due to knee surgery as England prioritises his winter schedule. Gus Atkinson is also omitted from the plans. Brydon Carse is included among pace options alongside Jofra Archer, Baker, Jamie Overton and Saqib Mahmood. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is recalled after strong domestic form, while Phil Salt returns to the T20 squads after paternity leave. Despite central contracts, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone remain out of the selection for the Ireland series, with Brook, Archer, Carse, Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith among players resting.

England is testing a new leadership approach while balancing workload ahead of a busy winter. Giving Bethell a chance to captain at 21 signals a willingness to invest in long-term leadership while keeping current stars rested for major challenges to come. The strategy also exposes a gap in pace depth if Wood remains unavailable, and it underscores how England is prioritising late-year goals over short-term results. The decisions highlight a broader trend: a push to develop a deeper pool of players who can step into high-pressure roles without relying solely on a fixed leadership core.

Highlights

The coming weeks will reveal how well England’s plan translates into results and whether Bethell’s leadership can endure higher stakes.