'Diabolical' - Michael Vaughan Rips Into England For Mismanaging Jacob Bethell

It was a Test to forget at The Oval for young Jacob Bethell, who, drafted into the XI as an emergency replacement for the injured Ben Stokes, looked like a deer caught in headlights. 

He was dismissed for 6 off 14 in the first innings and then, in the second innings, with the game nearly sealed, played a nervy 5 off 31 balls that eventually brought India back into the contest. 

Before the fifth Test, Bethell had played no red-ball games in 1.5 months, and that showed as he froze at The Oval with the series on the line. 

Many experts have criticised Bethell’s shot selection in the second innings, but former England captain Michael Vaughan came to the youngster’s rescue. Instead, Vaughan ripped into the England management for feeding Bethell to the wolves.

"I felt sorry for him [Bethell],” Vaughan said, speaking on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast.

“Jacob Bethell this summer has faced 67 balls in red-ball cricket, he's scored 32 runs. I know you need a spare batter in case of concussion, but surely if you're trying to develop a young cricketer, you gotta give him time to go and play cricket so that he's ready if and when the need arises. 

"To throw a kid, who is 21, in front of 27,000 people at The Oval with the series on the line on a pitch that's doing plenty, that was diabolical. I thought that was unfair on the player."

Vaughan further felt that England could either have drafted the in-form Rehan Ahmed — who has scored five County tons this season — or stuck with Liam Dawson and moved Smith up the order.

"I'd have gone either Rehan Ahmed, who is in great form in Leicestershire, or even Liam Dawson,” Vaughan said. 

“Dawson has 18 first-class centuries, so Jamie Smith could have batted at No.6.  It was unreasonable to expect such a young player to perform under that pressure with no cricket under his belt."

Following twin failures at The Oval, Bethell now averages 27.39 in first-class cricket.