England cricketer Jacob Bethell will miss the Australia tour after swelling in the right knee he had operated on in August. He is due to return to the United Kingdom for further assessment. The setback also leaves his availability for December’s South Africa Test series uncertain, with a warm-up match scheduled a week before the opening Test.
Jacob Bethell, the England international cricketer, has been ruled out of the team’s tour of Australia following a setback in his recovery from knee surgery. His right knee developed swelling after early fitness work. He is due to fly back to the United Kingdom at the weekend for further assessment, with scan results already sent to his specialist there.[1], [2]
Bethell underwent surgery at the end of August and has not played since July’s third one-day international against India at Lord’s. He was not expected to be ready for Friday’s one-day opener in Perth, but England had hoped he could return for the subsequent Twenty20 matches, the shorter format of the game. The knee setback has ended his participation in the Australia tour.[1]
The injury setback that ruled Bethell out of Australia also leaves his availability for the South Africa Test series uncertain. The opening Test is scheduled for 17 December, with a single warm-up in Durban a week beforehand. Another possible route back to match play is England’s second team, the Lions, whose South Africa programme this month includes three fifty-over games and two first-class matches.[1]
