Jacob Bethell ruled out of England's Australia white-ball tour with knee injury
England batter Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the white-ball tour of Australia because his knee injury has come back. The tour opens with a one-day international (ODI, a 50-over match) in Perth on Friday 13 November, and includes three ODIs and five Twenty20s (T20s, 20 overs a side).
Bethell is also a doubt for England's Test series in South Africa, which starts on 17 December. He was named in the squad for the three Tests, but his fitness for that series is still in question. BBC Sport reports that he had knee surgery in September.
The problem has a clear history. Bethell felt discomfort in his right knee in July, while he was scoring 91 in an ODI against India at Lord's. He has not played for England since. He then missed England's warm-up match against Western Australia, and he suffered a setback in training earlier this week. He has had a scan and will travel home to see a specialist.
England have already made changes to cover the gaps. Sussex all-rounder James Coles has been called up as cover for Bethell. Eddie Jack has joined the ODI squad as a replacement for Josh Tongue, who is out with a toe injury.
Bethell's recent form gives the decision some weight. He scored 154 in the final Test against Australia in January, a long innings that showed what he can do when he is set in at the crease. Fans will be hoping to see that again in South Africa, though nothing about that is certain yet.
For casual fans, the key point is this. Bethell is missing the next few weeks of cricket in Australia, and his place in the Test squad depends on how the knee settles. England now have a few weeks to decide how to fill his spot, and any further news will depend on what the specialist finds.
Ruled out means he will not play on the Australia tour. A doubt means his name is still on the list, but nobody can yet say whether he will play. The gap between those two words is what England's medical staff will be working to close before December.
