I thought my chance had gone, admits Jos
JOS BUTTLER has promised to do things his way as he prepares for a Test comeback that marks the start of a new era for English cricket.
Until recently, a white-ball superstar would have been left to get on with what he’s good at. But national selector Ed Smith regards Buttler as a vital cog in England’s attempt to get their Test show back on the road after a dismal winter. And if that means upsetting the traditionalists, so be it.
Buttler hasn’t played red-ball cricket since September 2017, or Test cricket since December 2016. And that led to cries on social media that his selection devalued the County Championship, where batsmen have had to scrap for every run on some lively earlyseason pitches.
But his recent form with Rajasthan Royals at the IPL has been irresistible. Afterer being promoted to open, Buttler averaged ged 107, smashing 428 28 runs from only y 258 balls, including a recordequalling five successive fifties. He looked like what he is: one of the cleanest, most thrilling g strikers of the ball all in world cricket.
Smith, a long--time fan, did not need convincing. And neither, it seems, did coach Trevor Bayliss, who has always been keen to pick Buttler as a specialist batsman, but has lacked the support of his fellow selectors.
Now, the challenge ahead of his Test return against Pakistan on Thursday will be to stay true to himself — without necessarily looking to scatter the members in the pavilion every over.
‘For me, it is about trusting instincts and not fighting them,’ he said. ‘That is going to be the best way to be successful. In the past I have potentially felt as if I had to be something I am not.’
Buttler is referring to the 2015 Ashes. His Test average went from 52 at the start of the series to 35 at the end — and his Test career took a similar nosedive. When four innings against Pakistan later that year produced only 343 runs, England dropped him and handed the gloves to Jonny Bairstow, who has been immovable since. ‘ That Ashes is wwhere I got away from what was serving me well in terms oof mindset,’ he said. ‘It is a really good learning curve for me. Whether it comes off this time or not, I have to stastay true to that.’ Buttler was picked again in India in 2016-17, playing as a specialist No 7 and managed a classy 76 in Mumbai. But that, for a while at least, looked to be that. ‘You always think maybe that it will never happen again,’ he said of a Test career that has brought him 18 caps. ‘To get that call, the overriding emotion was excitement.’ Does he feel in the form of his life? ‘Definitely. My one-day hundred in Sydney in January was as good as I have played. ‘In the IPL I played in high-pressure situations. That form gives you a hell of a lot of confidence.’ Time, it seems, to silence the traditionalists.