Ben Stokes: England captain defends decision to hand Jacob Bethell Test debut against New Zealand

England captain Ben Stokes has defended the decision to hand rookie batter Jacob Bethell a Test debut in the pivotal No 3 slot against New Zealand, telling fans "we do know what we're doing".

A selection reshuffle enforced by Jordan Cox's broken thumb means Ollie Pope will take the wicketkeeping gloves for the first Test in Christchurch - which starts on Wednesday night at 10pm - as well as dropping down to six in the batting order.

And rather than nudge the vastly experienced Joe Root up a place on his 150th appearance or promote himself, Stokes has gambled by handing the job to an untried 21-year-old.

Bethell has never batted at three in a brief first-class career comprising only 20 matches, while he averages only 25.44 and is yet to score a professional century.

But he is considered one of the brightest talents of his generation and has already showed enough star quality in his early forays as a white-ball international to earn a £250,000 pay cheque from IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore this week.

The decision will nevertheless cause plenty of attention given his modest red-ball achievements, but Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have made a habit of backing youthful promise rather than proven performers in their time together.

Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, Jamie Smith, Tom Hartley and Josh Hull have all been fast-tracked into the Test side, and it is a method Stokes makes no apologies for.

"We're not picking people just to wind people up. There is thought and there is process towards it, even if it does raise a few eyebrows," Stokes said.

"People might not quite understand it, but that's how me and Baz [McCullum] have operated for a long period of time now.

"I've not changed for anybody else's opinion or criticism. It's gone in our favour quite a lot so I think we do know what we're doing.

"We've got a pretty good understanding, insight and a good eye for picking players to fulfil a role.

"We were faced this week with another problem, but we found the solution and we're completely comfortable with that. You've got to be true to yourself when you get given the opportunity to make decisions."

Stokes was in reflective mood when it came to his own role as leader of the side, offering a harsh critique of his efforts in last month's 2-1 series loss in Pakistan.

He arrived on that tour still recovering from a badly torn hamstring, was not ready for the first game and later chastised himself for acting like a "grumpy old man" towards his team-mates after chances went down during the second Test.

It later emerged that his family home had been burgled by a masked gang while his wife and children were inside during the same game.

That would be enough to excuse any temporary lapses on the field but Stokes believes he was guilty ofgetting too caught up in his own fitness battle at the expense of his duties to the team.

"I cleared the air pretty early on with the lads [in New Zealand], when they got into Queenstown early on," he said.

"Pakistan was one of my hardest trips but also one that I've hugely benefited from. I've been pretty honest with myself, and pretty honest with Baz and the team as well, that I got so individually focused on myself over a long period of time trying to get back from injury that I actually I did physically drain and ruin myself.

"It's made me realise that being a captain, being the leader of this team, I can't take myself into that sort of area ever again.

"There's no doubt that my frustration was showing when things weren't quite going our way and that definitely has an impact on the players around me.

"Everyone is sort of standing on eggshells around you because they can sense it. It's another step forward for me as a leader and an understanding of certain things where I need to be better."

Stokes revealed he had briefly considered leaving Pakistan during the second Test following the break-in but was over-ruled.

"I did actually think about but it was my wife who told me not to," he said.

"She was adamant that I needed to stay out there."

Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann said England's leading Test run-scorer Joe Root still needs an Ashes century in Australia to be considered an "all-time great".

"Nope, he's a rung below for that reason," said Lehmann on ABC Sport when asked if Root was in the same category as Virat Kohli.

"They've made runs all over the world in difficult conditions against different oppositions, and that's the only thing stopping Joe Root. I think he's a great player but is he an all-time great?

"I don't have him in that realm. I think you've got to make hundreds all around the world. [Steve] Smith does, [Kane] Williamson has, Kohli has, [Rohit] Sharma has - they're world-class players."

Root responded by telling BBC Sport: "My job is to score runs, right? To turn up every game and try to do all I can out in the middle. His job is to give his opinion and talk on the radio.

"I'll do my job and he can do his job. He's completely entitled to say what he wants. That's his right."

VidSport Live' Nasser Hussain also weighed in on the debate, giving his backing to Root as England's best-ever batter.

"Root is an all-time great, always will be a great and will end up an all-time great," Hussain told VidSport Live News.

"Yes, the final piece of the jigsaw is getting runs in Australia. He averages 36 over there, by the way - it hasn't been a nightmare. Sure, he hasn't got a hundred and he'll want to put that right in the next Ashes.

"But just because he hasn't got a hundred in Australia… listen, Shane Warne averaged 43 with the ball in India and I can tell you, Warne was the greatest bowler I ever faced and arguably the greatest cricketer I've ever seen. Kohli averages 33 in England but I can tell you Kohli is a great player.

"Greatness comes over time, from doing it in all conditions all around the world; 150 Test matches and Root averages 51. But he is so much more than just those statistics. It's the way he plays; he's so pleasing on the eye, the fluidity, the consistency."