The Albany Gazette - Bethell to become England's youngest cricket captain against Ireland

The talented Warwickshire all-rounder is regarded as one of the rising stars of the English game, even though he has still to score his first professional century in any format.

Bethell, however, has still been appointed to lead England in a three-match T20 series against Ireland in Dublin from September 17-21, which will serve as part of the team's preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

He is now in line to become England's youngest men's captain in an international match, breaking the record of Monty Bowden, who was 23 years and 144 days old when he led England in a Test against South Africa at Cape Town in 1888/89.

Bethell has featured in just four Test matches but has become a white-ball regular with 13 Twenty20 appearances and 12 one-day internationals to his credit since making his T20 bow in September last year.

- 'Leadership qualities' -

"Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage," said England selector Luke Wright.

Bethell's most recent international appearance was in the fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval this month where, having replaced injured red-ball captain Ben Stokes, he managed scores of just six and five, while not taking a wicket with his left-arm spin.

But former England captain Michael Vaughan said team management had made a "diabolical" decision to call-up Bethell for such a key match on the back of so little first-class cricket this season.

Bethell has been given the chance to lead England after team chiefs decided regular white-ball captain Harry Brook should take a break following the ODI and T20 series against South Africa.

The all-format quartet of Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have also been rested from the Ireland series as they take a breather ahead of the upcoming shopwiece Ashes campaign.

Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are not in any of the three squads as they prepare for the tour of Australia, with the first Test in Perth starting on November 21, but uncapped fast bowler Sonny Baker has been included.

Wood had knee surgery in March and missed the whole of the Test series against India.

England squads for one-day international and T20 series against South Africa and Ireland:

ODI squad v South Africa:

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wkt), Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt)

T20 squad v South Africa:

Brook (capt), Ahmed, Archer, Banton, Bethell, Carse, Liam Dawson,Duckett, Jacks, Mahmood, Overton, Rashid, Phil Salt (wkt), Smith (wkt), Luke Wood

T20 squad v Ireland:

Bethell (capt), Ahmed, Baker, Banton, Buttler, Dawson, Tom Hartley, Jacks, Mahmood, Overton, Matthew Potts, Rashid, Salt (wkt), Wood

Fixtures

England v South Africa ODIs (1200 GMT unless stated)

Sep 02: 1st ODI, Headingley, Leeds

Sep 04: 2nd ODI, Lord's, London

Sep 07: 3rd ODI, Rose Bowl, Southampton (1000 GMT)

England v South Africa T20s (1730 GMT unless stated)

Sep 10: 1st T20, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Sep 12: 2nd T20, Old Trafford, Manchester

Sep 14: 3rd T20, Trent Bridge, Nottingham (1330 GMT)

Ireland v England T20s (all at Malahide, Dublin, 1230 GMT)

Sep 17: 1st T20

Sep 19: 2nd T20

Sep 21: 3rd T20

(P.Clark--TAG)