Brendan McCullum admits Jacob Bethell has posed a selection dilemma for England, making it difficult for vice-captain Olly Pope to retain his place.
Bethell made a striking first impression in his first Test series in New Zealand, hitting three stylish half-centuries in as many matches and the 21-year-old looked completely Is a rising star.
While this is a huge positive for an England squad focused on developing young talent, it could force tricky decisions next summer.
Bethell was offered a chance at third after an injury to Jordan Cox left England short of a goalkeeper, and Pope agreed to step in and slip down the order.
But with Jamie Smith regaining the glove after the birth of his first child, Bethel and Pope may be competing for a spot next year.
Choose a headache
Captain Ben Stokes had previously said Pope would return straight away at No. 3, a position in which he has enjoyed occasional highs and a few lean spells, but Bethell's 50 not out, 96 and A score of 76 seems to make things less certain.
“He definitely gave us a headache, but we had a few months to figure out what we were doing. It was a good problem to have,” McCallum said.
“When we asked Bess to bat at number three, we were all a little unsure whether he could bat at number three, but we saw his talent and he performed really well against a very good bowling line-up. He was very Have taste.
“His preparation and planning have been meticulous and it has allowed his talent and creativity to shine on the big stage. We are very pleased with what he has achieved in this series and I think he has shown that international cricket is suitable for he.
“Poppy has done a really good job for us as well, and with Beth out there as well, you're adding some depth to your hitters. Those are good decisions that we're not going to make in the next few days. These decisions, when we get together again in a few months, we will work everything out.
Ollie Pop
Pope has led England on four occasions in Stokes' absence, and England don't want to let him go, but an average of 33.13 in 2024 does leave him vulnerable.
Opener Zak Crawley has even lighter runs, averaging 27.80 over the past 12 months, with a agonizing one against New Zealand An 8.66 to end the year on a bad note.
He was dismissed six times by the ruthless Matt Henry and showed the pressure on Hamilton was getting to him, after being given a heavy hand by referee Adrian Holdstock. His reaction was decidedly irritating.
But confidence in Crowley seems strong, and there's no sign that Bethell's presence will put him in danger.
“Zach is disappointed with his scoring this trip, but we have full confidence in him. He knows that at his best, he can win our games.
“He does believe in himself, absolutely. He just hasn't quite gotten into the rhythm yet. He's still a big part of this team and now he's going to have some time to regroup.
“The last two people to hold that position are now Sirs (Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook), so it's not an easy thing to occupy the top position in England.”
full format coach
McCullum took over as England's all-round coach in January after two-and-a-half years in charge of the Test team. He has been tasked with breathing new life into a white-ball side that has underperformed under Matthew Mott and he is ready to take on the challenge.
“I'm excited about it. There aren't many times in life where you get to do things with some meat on the bones, which is why I took the testing job in the first place,” he said.
“The talent in England is huge. There's something to work with there. If done right we can achieve some really cool results in the next few years.
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