“He’s got a bit of class about him,” McCullum said after being impressed by Bethell’s poise and maturity. “I’m pretty crazy about organizing things. I’m always looking for my car keys or my phone charger, but Bethell is always looking for his.
“He is one of those guys who puts his talent and creativity on the big stage with very meticulous preparation and planning. He is someone we couldn’t be happier with after what he has achieved in this series. I think he will make international cricket even better.” “I think he showed that it was for him.”
A broken thumb forced Cox out of the tour ahead of the second day of the warm-up match against a Prime Minister’s XI in Queenstown. England, bereft of another full-time glovesman, turned to vice-captain Pope, who dropped from three to six levels to concentrate fully on the role. As a result, reserve hitter Bethel was given the opportunity to flex at the end of the batting order.
Bethell and Pope left New Zealand on Wednesday morning to join Big Bash League sides Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers respectively. But it was only 24 hours ago that their situation came to a head at Seddon Park through the prism of an ugly dismissal.
Pope’s dismal attempt to lampoon Matt Henry cost him stumps for 17 and caused the greatest furore. Legendary New Zealand commentator Ian Smith, who was broadcasting on Sport Nation NZ at the time, was particularly scathing. “Set him in a cold, dark room, put electrodes on his head and say, ‘What were you thinking Olly?’”
Meanwhile Bethell poked the retiring Tim Southee to deep point after showing impressive courage to survive a blistering spell from 6ft4in speedy Will O’Rourke. It was Bethell’s second chance at a professional century, the first of which he gave up on the trip, after missing four in Wellington last week.
The message throughout the tour was that Pope would resume the position he has held since Ben Stokes’ term began in 2022. Although he averaged a clean 40.28 from the slot, Bethell’s tighter technique and confidence at the crease are regarded by some as a negative. It fits better with 3 compared to Pope’s usual enthusiasm.
All of this presents a challenge for Smith when he returns to the fold. England’s next Test match takes place in May, a four-day one-off against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. No decision has yet to be made, but McCullum admitted Pope’s spot is no longer guaranteed because of Bethell’s strong first impression.
“Look, it’s a good problem to have,” McCullum said. “When we asked Beth, we were all unsure whether he would be able to play at three, but we saw his talent and he performed very well against a very good bowling line-up.
“They’re a good problem. We’ll work it out. Poppy has been really good for us and now that Beth is there too, you’re adding depth to the batting stock. They’re good decisions and we’re not going to do that. “We will resolve all issues when we meet again in the next few days.”
Results were mixed with 9 wins and 8 losses in 17 Tests, with the series 3 wins and 2 losses. Nonetheless, McCullum believes the squad is now better equipped to deal with the challenges that lie ahead next year.
“The emergence of (Brydon) Carse, Bethell, (Gus) Atkinson and Jamie Smith. There are other players in different roles as well. The skipper was injured in this Test, which I don’t think is a bad thing. … But as the captain and leader of the group, His continued development as an all-rounder is also supported.
“Overall, I think we are a better team than we were back then (January). Of course we had some players who did a good job for us, but I think we are now a team that can play against the best teams. We will find out soon.”
The new year brings new scope for McCullum as the white-ball team comes under his control. After a brief break, his first assignment will be the limited-overs series in India ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in February. Naturally, he is enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing his Test mentality into England’s ODI and T20I squad after a year of failure in both World Cups.
“I’m glad. I guess I’ll find out, right?” he said “It’s not often in life that you get to put meat on your bones, so I started out doing testing.
“I’m really looking forward to Jos (Buttler) taking over as skipper. We have something we can work on together. If we do it right, we could achieve some pretty cool things over the next few years.”
Vithushan Ehantharajah is the Editor-in-Chief of ESPNcricinfo.
