Don't See It As A Problem, You Win Either Way: Rob Key On England's No.3 Decision

England cricket managing director Rob Key has weighed in on the ongoing debate about the right number three batter for England in the upcoming Test series against India, which is starting at Headingley on June 20. 

With Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell in direct competition for the slot, it is likely that the player who’s left out will also be left out of the playing 11 as the other batting positions in the team are taken. Pope recently scored a 171 against Zimbabwe to solidify his claims at the number; however, Bethell has impressed too, scoring three half-centuries as a number three batter at just 21 years of age during the tour of New Zealand in December 2024. 

However, for Key, this is not a conundrum at all as he sees the value in both the players, and sees the decision as being a win-win game. 

“I don't see it as a problem, really," Key told the Telegraph's cricket podcast regarding the number three debates. 

“You win either way, really. You've got two brilliant players who can do that role. Ollie Pope's been fantastic in that tough spot; he played brilliantly in New Zealand… alright, he was in a different role, but we've got two brilliant options in those spots.

"A tough decision is when you've got no options, and you've got to just then try and find something from nowhere. That's when I'm sort of scratching my head. This one is: 'Which really good player are we going to pick?' It's a good position to be in."

Key also added that the careers of both the batters will not be affected by the decision taken this week for the first Test, and also added that Bethell prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the Zimbabwe Test won’t cost him his place. 

“I don't think [that] the careers of Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell are defined by what happens this week, or whether he came back to play the Zimbabwe Test,” Key said. 

“He [Bethell]  may not have played that Test match. Watching his development has been extraordinary, and him going out there and playing in the IPL, I think was brilliant for him. We'll get the return on that in the future.”