Nine’s Wide World of Sports
England great Michael Vaughan has slammed the decision to push prodigy Jacob Bethell straight into the top-order for the Boxing Day Test.
The 22-year-old is one of the best young players in the country, but has limited first-class experience and has been brought into the national set-up mainly on potential.
Bethell had scored 271 runs at 39 in his handful of Test appearances prior to the Ashes, but was left out for the first three games when the series was on the line.
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But with the Aussies taking an unassailable 3-0 lead after Adelaide, selectors opted to give Bethell an opportunity in place of the misfiring Ollie Pope.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the selection change didn't pay off as Bethell was one of a stack of England players who failed with bat in hand on Friday afternoon.
Jacob Bethell leaves the field on Boxing Day Getty
While there's plenty of talent at Bethell's disposal, former captain Vaughan believes the call to push him straight into the proverbial lion's den may have been short-sighted, especially in tough conditions at the MCG against a quality bowling attack.
"I look at a young kid, he's played four first-class matches and England are throwing him out at No.3 on that pitch," Vaughan said on BBC's Test Match Special.
"I just think you're giving kids no chance. He's never got a first-class hundred and you're asking him to deliver on this stage in front of 95,000 when they are three-nil down.
"If you're going to put him into the side for two games, [other batters should] all move up one and let Jacob come in at No.6 and give him a chance.
"To throw a kid that's played no cricket in at No.3 in an Ashes series against this quality, you're just giving him no chance."
Jonathan Agnew admitted that many former England players assumed Bethell would have come into a middle-order role, but that didn't end up being the case.
The exciting Barbados-born all-rounder has become a regular in white-ball cricket for England, but his future in the Test side remains unclear beyond this series.
Bethell has scored one century at ODI level for England and his high score in Tests is a 96 against New Zealand earlier this year.
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'Gave him no chance': England's young gun gamble slammed – Nine
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