England face an anxious wait over Jacob Bethell’s fitness after a knee injury forced him out of The Hundred.

Bethell underwent an MRI scan on his right knee on Monday morning, but England do not yet know how long the 22-year-old will spend on the sidelines after Birmingham Phoenix confirmed their captain cannot feature in The Hundred.

England’s three-match Test series with Pakistan starts at Headingley on August 19.

“Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of The Hundred due to a right knee injury,” read a statement from England Cricket.

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Frustrating

“Bethell sustained the injury during the Metro Bank ODI Series and underwent an MRI scan yesterday morning.

“He will begin his rehabilitation and we will update in due course.”

Bethell, whose deal with Birmingham was worth £340,000, was player of the match in Sunday’s third one-day international against India at Lord’s, scoring 91 and taking two wickets as England won the series 2-1.

He said: “It’s frustrating to miss out on The Hundred, especially representing Birmingham Phoenix in front of our supporters at Edgbaston.

“Unfortunately, I need to take the time to get back to full fitness.

“My focus now is on completing my rehabilitation and returning fully fit. I’d like to thank the fans, my teammates and the medical staff for all their support, and I’ll be cheering the boys on throughout the competition.”

Gutted

Birmingham head coach Shane Bond said: “We’re all incredibly disappointed for Jacob and gutted he won’t be able to join us this year.

“It’s frustrating to lose a player of his quality, not least your captain, this close to the tournament but his long-term fitness has to be the priority.

“Everyone at the club wishes him the very best with his recovery and we look forward to seeing him back on the field as soon as possible.”