Jos is still eager to test himself

JOS BUTTLER has no plans to follow Adil Rashid and Alex Hales in becoming a white-ball specialist after stating his ambition to play Test cricket for England again.

Buttler, 27, is one of the most destructive power-hitters in the game and the wicketkeeper-batsman will be key to England’s hopes of winning next year’s World Cup on home soil.

That was underlined in Sunday’s opening one-day international against New Zealand in Hamilton, where Buttler top-scored for his country with 79 during a dramatic final-over defeat.

However, his Test career has so far been one of frustration. Buttler lost his place to Jonny Bairstow in late 2015 and has played just three times since, as a specialist batsman on England’s tour of India last winter.

Overall, he averages just 31.36 from 18 Tests and has played only five County Championship matches for Lancashire in the past three years.

It would be understandable then if Buttler considered concentrating solely on limited-overs cricket just as Rashid and Hales, his fellow squad members on this tour of New Zealand, recently decided to do. Yet Buttler still feels he has unfinished business as a Test player.

“At the minute, I’m very happy with my situation,” he said. “Yes, it does mean I still have Test ambitions.

“I haven’t played a great deal of red-ball cricket recently – whether that opportunity comes depends on performance.

“At the back end of this year, I’ll be available for quite a lot of Championship cricket, so if I’m going to get back in, that’s when I need to score runs.”

If Buttler’s quest to play Tests again fails, he will not be too hard on himself, especially as he has an Ashes win under his belt, having been part of the team who beat Australia in 2015.

“I don’t want to have too many regrets,” he said. “I’m obviously very fortunate to have played Test cricket at all.

“One thing you’d want to get out of a Test career would be winning an Ashes series in England. Not that I performed very well, but I’m lucky enough to have that, and no one will ever take that away from me.

“You’re always desperate to do as well as you can, and fulfil your promise and potential as much as you can. But I won’t lose any sleep over it.” Buttler, meanwhile, says it is great to have Ben Stokes back after the all-rounder ended his five-month absence from international cricket with two wickets during Sunday’s defeat in Hamilton.

Stokes was suspended by the ECB after the late-night incident in Bristol last September that saw him charged with affray. But he looked far from rusty on his return and Buttler hopes his influence can help England turn around this five-match series against New Zealand, starting in the second ODI here tomorrow.

“He brings so much to the team both on and off the field,” said Buttler. “He always puts in performances and I’m sure, having got that one game out of the way, he’ll go from strength to strength.

“He’s obviously a worldclass all-rounder, one of the best in the world. Then there’s his character around the group. His infectious personality rubs off on people – he demands the best from us. So just having him back is a great asset.

“All-rounders, through the history of cricket, have always been the ones that mean you’re never out of the game, because they can always influence it. He’s a great player.”

If I’m going to get back in I need to score some Championship runs

NEW ZEALAND (probable): ENGLAND (probable): Start: TV: