Tom Banton Replaces Injured Jacob Bethell in England’s ICC Champions Trophy Squad

England have made a key change to their squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, bringing in wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton as a replacement for the injured Jacob Bethell. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed the update after Bethell suffered a left hamstring strain during England’s first ODI against India on February 6 in Nagpur.

Banton, a right-handed batter and wicketkeeper, isn’t a like-for-like replacement for the left-handed all-rounder Bethell. However, his recent performances have earned him a spot in England’s 15-member squad. The 26-year-old was in sensational form during the recently concluded ILT20 in Dubai, where he dominated opposition bowlers, amassing 493 runs in 11 innings at an impressive average of 54.77. His performances included two centuries and three fifties, showcasing his ability to take on high-quality bowling attacks.

Banton’s inclusion was further justified when he was drafted into England’s squad for the ongoing third ODI against India in Ahmedabad. The explosive batter made his ODI debut for England back in 2020 and had previously played six matches, scoring 134 runs. Before his recent call-up, his last ODI appearance came against Ireland in August 2020 at Southampton.

England isn’t the only team making adjustments to their Champions Trophy squad. India also announced a major change, ruling out star pacer Jasprit Bumrah due to a lower back injury. Young fast bowler Harshit Rana has been named as his replacement, marking a significant shift in India’s pace attack for the tournament.

Additionally, India made another key alteration by dropping opener Yashasvi Jaiswal from the final squad in favor of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. Initially included in India’s provisional squad, Jaiswal had made his ODI debut in the series opener against England in Nagpur, where he took a stunning catch but failed to make an impact with the bat, scoring only 15 off 22 balls.

In the second ODI, Jaiswal was left out of the playing XI for Virat Kohli, while Chakaravarthy was given his ODI debut. The spinner delivered a decent performance, finishing with figures of 1/54 in his full 10-over spell, which ultimately earned him a place in the final Champions Trophy squad.

England’s Champions Trophy squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.