Jacob Bethell is set to become England's youngest international men's cricket captain after the 21-year old was named Friday as skipper for next month's Twenty20 international series in Ireland.
The talented Warwickshire all-rounder is regarded as one of the rising stars of the English game, even though he has still to score his first professional century in any format.
Bethell, however, has still been appointed to lead England in a three-match T20 series against Ireland in Dublin from September 17-21, which will serve as part of the team's preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
He is now in line to become England's youngest men's captain in an international match, breaking the record of Monty Bowden, who was 23 years and 144 days old when he led England in a Test against South Africa at Cape Town in 1888/89.
Bethell has featured in just four Test matches but has become a white-ball regular with 13 T20 appearances and 12 one-day internationals to his credit since making his T20 bow in September last year.
"Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage," said England selector Luke Wright.
Bethell's most recent international appearance was in the fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval this month where, having replaced injured red-ball captain Ben Stokes, he managed scores of just six and five, while not taking a wicket with his left-arm spin.
But former England captain Michael Vaughan said team management had made a "diabolical" decision to call-up Bethell for such a key match on the back of so little first-class cricket this season.
Bethell has been given the chance to lead England after team chiefs decided regular white-ball captain Harry Brook should take a break following the ODI and T20 series against South Africa.
The all-format quartet of Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have also been rested from the Ireland series as they take a breather ahead of the upcoming shopwiece Ashes campaign.
Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are not in any of the three squads as they prepare for the tour of Australia, with the first Test in Perth starting on November 21, but uncapped fast bowler Sonny Baker has been included.
Wood had knee surgery in March and missed the whole of the Test series against India.
England ODI squad v South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wkt), Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt)
England T20 squad v South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wkt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Luke Wood
England T20 squad v Ireland: Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wkt), Luke Wood
Fixtures (Bangladesh time)
England v South Africa ODIs
Sep 2: 1st ODI, Headingley, Leeds, 6pm
Sep 4: 2nd ODI, Lord's, London, 6pm
Sep 7: 3rd ODI, Rose Bowl, Southampton, 4pm
England v South Africa T20s
Sep 10: 1st T20, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 11:30pm
Sep 12: 2nd T20, Old Trafford, Manchester, 11:30pm
Sep 14: 3rd T20, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 7:30pm
Ireland v England T20s (all at Malahide, Dublin, 6:30pm)
Sep 17: 1st T20
Sep 19: 2nd T20
Sep 21: 3rd T20
