No assurances over England number three – Wright

After Jacob Bethell made the squad for the first Test against India, England selector Luke Wright chose not to support incumbent number three Ollie Pope.

After missing out on a defeat to Zimbabwe while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, Bethell, 21, returns.

Ben Stokes, the Test team captain, said Bethell would make an immediate return to the starting lineup when she was available prior to the match. After vice-captain Pope completed a magnificent century at Trent Bridge, Stokes made clear that he was referring to Bethell joining the squad and that his earlier statements had been “twisted to fit an agenda.”

Wright said: “We’ll get together when we get up to Leeds and announce that two days out from the Test. Pope is still expected to retain his place at Headingley.

We’ll take into account everything, including the previous conditions. The melting pot contains all of those factors.

At the end of last year, left-hander Bethell batted at number three in New Zealand, scoring three half-centuries as Pope slipped down the order to take the wicket.

He impressed in his first one-day international against West Indies last week with 82 at Edgbaston despite choosing to miss the Zimbabwe Test to play in the IPL.

Wright speculated that Bethell would play in the opening Test, but he would be “very close.”

In reality, Bethell could pressure opener Zak Crawley or front-row spinner Shoaib Bashir to make the team, but Pope would have to be the winner.

Wright, a former England all-rounder, refrained from suggesting that Bethell’s position’s lack of clarity might uneasy the squad’s established members.

Before entering any game, everyone knows that there are always prizes to be won, Wright said. Nobody in international cricket, in my opinion, takes it for granted. That is the way it ought to be.

You desire a powerful squad. They are all accomplished professionals who are well-versed in the subject. What will the XI will be always subject to speculation. Before that first Test, I’m confident that the players will be fully aware of what is happening and how it will turn out.

Matthew Potts misses out on the Test squad, but Jamie Overton makes a comeback for the first time in three years.

While Potts had fallen behind Sam Cook in the role of Chris Woakes’ new-ball understudy, Wright explained that England wanted the choice of Overton’s extra pace.

Jofra Archer’s participation in Sussex’ County Championship game against Durham will start on June 22.

Due to a number of injuries, Archer has not played red-ball cricket for more than four years.

Without a thumb injury, he would have played for England Lions against India A on Friday in Northampton.