Bethell comments ‘twisted to suit agenda’ – Stokes

Captain Ben Stokes said his comments about Jacob Bethell’s immediate inclusion in the England team were “twisted to fit an agenda.”

On Wednesday, Stokes said, “You put two and two together, you probably know what’s going to happen, on the eve of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe,” giving an indication that Bethell would return for the series against India later in the summer.

Ollie Pope, who scored a majestic 171 for England to defeat Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs, would likely get a bigger share of Bethell’s return.

Stokes claimed that the resulted from being sealed on Saturday and that it was written to fit an agenda being discussed with the team.

I was given a fairly straightforward question about Beth. I advised him to join the squad by putting two and two together. However, it’s unfortunate that you say something that can be twisted to fit a particular agenda.

The night before this Test, I made it very clear to Popey that this was not the case.

What conversation did Jacob Bethell have with the written press on Wednesday? He is the current number three and has made a fantastic start in New Zealand. Due to the IPL, he isn’t here. What is he anticipated to do? Does he immediately depart for India?”

“All those conversations go on with Rob Key and Brendon McCullum,” Stokes said. That relates to how I imagined playing that particular captaincy role. I don’t share the positive or negative news. The group and the eleven fieldmen need my attention.

It’s a fairly straightforward one, they say. When the IPL overlaps with series and other similar circumstances, we’ve already had to deal with these situations. Not just with the Test guys, but also with the white-ball guys.

“He’s obviously going to be back in the UK for that India series,” according to Beth, who had the series out in New Zealand. You probably know what will happen when you combine two and two, so I believe you do.

Stokes continued, “It’s great to have someone like James Rew, who had a fantastic start to his first-class career. I believe it’s been great for him to have him here, get to know him as a bloke, and let him experience what it’s like to be in a dressing room in an international setting with some of the numbers he’s pumped out for a consistent amount of time.

The 33-year-old believes his comments about Somerset batter Rew, who was an untested member of the squad for the Test against Zimbabwe, made it clear he was referring to Bethell’s place in the squad rather than the playing XI, despite the fact that neither the question nor Stokes’ response on Wednesday specifically mentioned the England squad or the playing XI.

After the three-day victory over Zimbabwe was over, Stokes stated in a statement following the conclusion of the Test Match Special: “I personally felt that it was a bit of a, not a vendetta, but I got asked a simple question about Bethell, put two and two together, and then all of a sudden it turns into something that suits the agenda of the time.

Pope may have been the most susceptible to Bethell, but opener Zak Crawley, who also made 100 at Trent Bridge, could have made a run for it. Shoaib Bashir, who took nine wickets in the match, might have been put under pressure by Bethell’s left-arm spin.

After his innings on Thursday, Crawley claimed that he had not felt any pressure on his place, and that he had “lernt to live with the noise” on Friday morning.

Stokes’ pre-game comments, according to Pope, were not discussed with him, but the captain claimed on Saturday that he had a conversation with him the night before the test.

Stokes continued, “He is a very important player in this team, not just with his runs at number three, because he has been exceptional since he was given that opportunity, averaging over 40 now, and he is my vice-captain.