England batter Jacob Bethell is set to create history by becoming England men’s cricket team’s youngest skipper at age 21, surpassing a record that has remained intact for 136 years.He will captain England’s T20 squad in three matches against Ireland in Dublin.The record for England’s youngest captain was previously held by Monty Bowden, who led the team at 23 in 1889 during a test match in South Africa, when the appointed captain Aubrey Smith was indisposed due to fever.The Ireland series will not feature several key players, including designated white-ball captain Harry Brook, who will be leading the ODI and T20 matches against South Africa in early September.“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,” England men’s selector Luke Wright said in a statement on Friday.This captaincy appointment marks swift progress for Bethell, who only made his international debut across all formats last year.The series in Ireland commences on September 17.
Who is Jacob Bethell?
Jacob Bethell is a talented England cricketer, born in Barbados in 2003, who moved to England as a teenager and rose quickly through the ranks with Warwickshire. A left-handed batting all-rounder known for his aggressive stroke play and useful left-arm spin, he first made waves at the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup and debuted for England’s senior side in 2024. Now, at just 21, Bethell is set to captain England’s T20I team against Ireland, putting him on the cusp of breaking a 136-year-old record as the youngest men’s captain in the country’s history.
