Why Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum were right to gamble on Jacob Bethell at No 3... and who will fret for his England place if the youngster takes his opportunity, writes NASSER HUSSAIN

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Jacob Bethell is as raw as they come. He is just 21 years old and has never batted at three or got a hundred in first-class cricket. You have to go back to Mike Gatting in 1978 for the last time a specialist batter has come into the England Test side without a first-class hundred.

But this is a very Key-McCullum-Stokes selection. They don’t select on county form. They select on potential and what they call a high ceiling – how far can a cricketer go and what is his room for growth and improvement.

It reminds me a bit of when I was England captain and sat down in selection meetings with Duncan Fletcher. Duncan used to talk about any selection being an investment in the future and he wanted to see a return on that investment - not just in the upcoming Test match, but over the next five years.

That is how Key, McCullum and Stokes view things and there is no doubt Bethell is a real talent with a high ceiling.

It is a big ask to come in and bat at No 3 in New Zealand, against this seam attack on pitches that can start green and do a bit. But he fits the type of player that England want – an attacking batter who puts the pressure back on the bowlers. He is also a great fielder and offers some left-arm spin as well.

I hear he doesn't do social media and I'd recommend he stays off it because there'll be some that will be saying his selection is nonsense. People will be asking where we are with county cricket if we don't pick players based on county form.

Jacob Bethell has been trusted with the No 3 role ahead of England's Test tour of New Zealand

Captain Ben Stokes (left) and coach Brendon McCullum (right) have taken a gamble with Bethell

The 21-year-old left-hander has never batted No 3 or scored a hundred in first-class cricket

But I actually like that about this selection committee. They don't just do things because it looks good or looks the least bad. 

They don't care what the outside world thinks, in the same way that they picked Josh Hull ahead of Sam Cook in the summer despite their respective county stats.

They have a policy, a brand, a way of doing things, and they are going to stick with it. At least they are consistent and the selections they've made have generally been proved to be right, whether it be Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson or Rehan Ahmed, to name but a few.

The only thing I would say about the high-ceiling policy, though, is you don’t want the England dressing room feeling like a closed shop. That high ceiling has to be delivered upon at some stage.

Zak Crawley averages 32 and Ollie Pope averages 34. For me, high ceiling is Joe Root averaging 51 ahead of his 150th Test match. That is greatness.

Whatever the style and brand of cricketers they want to select, the only currency has to be runs and wickets. That's all you should ultimately be judged on.

Bethell’s selection has been forced on England a little by the fact that they didn't take a spare wicket keeper to New Zealand, so Pope has been given the gloves and dropped down to No6. 

I didn't understand why they took three spinners and not another wicket keeper, like Ollie Robinson.

England's first test against the Black Caps will start on Wednesday at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Ollie Pope (right) will be under pressure if Bethell performs well during the three-Test series

Finding a No 3 to come in ahead of star batter Joe Root (above) has proved an issue for England

There would also have been a long discussion with Root about moving up to No3, but he has always been a bit wary of that. 

I’ve often thought he should probably move up, but his stats at four are better and he is your one world-class batter, so you let him do whatever he wants to do.

Of course, asking Bethell to bat at No 3 is a gamble but it a great opportunity for him. If he gets runs in this series, it will put pressure on Pope, because Smith is guaranteed to come back into the side after his paternity leave.

So good luck to him. I wish him all the best on his journey in Test match cricket.