Buttler in frame for winter Test tours
JOS BUTTLER returns to the England side today knowing that he could yet force his way into the winter Test squads as a specialist batsman. England’s white-ball wicketkeeper missed the final two one-day internationals against Pakistan with a hamstring niggle, but is fit to take his place in the Twenty20 side at Old Trafford for the final match of the international summer. And despite not playing any red-ball cricket since the Dubai Test against Pakistan last October, Buttler remains in the frame to play in Bangladesh and India as a specialist No 7, with Jonny Bairstow thought to have done enough to keep his place behind the stumps. Coaches Trevor Bayliss — one of four selectors — and Paul Farbrace like the idea of playing Buttler as a batsman because of his counter-attacking ability. But they may face opposition from the other selectors — James Whitaker, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser — who are less inclined to take risks. It is a difference in philosophy that came to a head before the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s in July, when Bayliss and captain Alastair Cook were overruled in their desire to pick Jimmy Anderson, who was adamant he had recovered from a shoulder problem. If Buttler makes the Test party, that could be bad news for England’s struggling middle order of Gary Ballance and James Vince. While Ballance looks likely to travel to the subcontinent because of his reputation as a slow-wicket batsman, he could miss out on the first Test in Chittagong on October 20 if Buttler is picked. Vince, meanwhile, is set to be dropped altogether after averaging just 19 in his seven Tests this summer. With Lancashire teenager Haseeb Hameed on course to replace Alex Hales at the top of the order, the line-up for Chittagong could look like this: Cook, Hameed, Root, Bairstow (wkt), Stokes, Moeen Ali, Buttler, Rashid, Woakes, Broad, Anderson. For now, Buttler will be looking to add to a superb record in white-ball cricket this summer, having scored 347 runs in one-day and Twenty20 internationals at an average of 115 and a strike-rate of 135. Victory for England would leave them with nine wins and a tie from 11 completed limited-overs matches this summer, confirming the progress that began during Farbrace’s stint as interim coach last season.