Buttler back in England Test squad
England call-ups for dynamic batsman and young spinner as Smith makes bold start
As first days in the office go, Ed smith’s start as national selector could hardly have been better.
He made two bold choices in an England squad for the first Test against Pakistan that combines imagination with common sense.
Only 24 hours after ECB chairman Colin Graves was bringing the English game further into disrepute with his latest gaffes, smith stepped up to suggest there is a much more accomplished hand on the selection tiller.
In comes the most gifted cricketer in England — Jos Buttler, who will bat at No 7 despite not playing a red-ball match since last september — and a young offspinner of considerable promise in somerset’s Dom Bess.
Gone is the innate conservatism and the questionably dull choices of James Whitaker’s selection panel, epitomised by the ill-fated inclusion of Gary Ballance and Liam Dawson last summer.
It would have been easy for smith to stick with James Vince after he made 76 in his last Test innings in New Zealand and an unbeaten double hundred for Hampshire against somerset on the eve of selection.
And it would have been easy to turn to Moeen Ali, who took 30 Test wickets last summer, when it became clear that Jack Leach would not be able to play following a cruelly timed break to his left thumb. That England did not — and the selection of Buttler is very much down to smith — is an encouraging move from a new chief selector who was a controversial choice ahead of Andy Flower.
Two of the old selectors, Angus Fraser and Mick Newell, may remain until smith appoints a new, independent person later this summer but this is a squad that has the new man and coach Trevor Bayliss’s stamp all over it.
At Lord’s, smith was able to talk confidently and articulately about his choices, in stark contrast to Whitaker, whose public utterances were so cringeworthy that he virtually disappeared from view.
Buttler returns to the Test side for the first time in 18 months with a licence to play aggressively, just as he would in white-ball cricket where he is among the most breathtaking talents in the world game.
‘We felt this was the right time to bring in a player of Jos’s unique gifts, what he brings to the team as a destructive batsman, a fantastic competitive presence and his innate leadership skills, when he is playing with such confidence and flair,’ said smith of a batsman excelling in the Indian Premier League.
‘To an extent his Test record (he averages 31) is beside the point because he’s evolved since then. I’m fully aware he hasn’t played a red-ball game since the back end of last season and our eyes are wide open. We just had a very strong feeling that we wanted to invest in this opportunity for Jos.’
Bess, 20, is also the right call in the absence of Leach and Mason Crane, ahead of another promising young spinner, Amar Virdi, who is still too raw.
The Devonian has impressed with every step he has taken since making his firstclass debut against Pakistan at Taunton two years ago.
‘It is a horrible stroke of misfortune for Leach,’ said smith.
‘But an opportunity opened up to look at a new spinner. Dom’s had a terrific start to his career with bat, ball and as a character.’
The character in Bess, who will play at Lord’s, was evident in the reaction of a man who barely three years ago was moving on from sidmouth Cricket Club because of limited opportunities.
‘I was in Ikea with my girlfriend when I heard the news,’ said Bess. ‘I’ve just got a new house so we were looking for some new sofas and I was having an argument with my missus!
‘A number popped up on my phone and my girlfriend said, “Take it because you never know what could happen”, so I did and the rest is history. Ed provided me with an amazing moment in Ikea. I couldn’t quite believe it.’
England are also right to ignore the claims of the impressive Ben Foakes for now and leave the gloves with Jonny Bairstow, who will rightly be promoted to No 5.
And it is right that Joe Root will bat where he always should have at No 3, a move smith insists is very much down to the captain.
The only possible quibble is the retention of Mark stoneman who survives despite failing to pass 60 in his Test career and not reaching 30 this season for surrey.
It is believed Root wanted stoneman to stay ahead of Nick Gubbins and Keaton Jennings but he is in the last chance saloon.
With Mark Wood favourite to claim the last bowling place ahead of Chris Woakes, English cricket got something right with their first selection of a summer that has already been full of chaos — and we are only in May!