Buttler is running out of time as a Test player

70 Runs Jos Buttler’s wicketkeeping has cost England in this Test according to Cricviz – the most by any keeper for three years

It was a pleasure watching Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan standing back, taking the late wobbling balls from the quicks and standing up to the turn and bounce from the wrist-spinners. His glovework was immaculate.

How different it was watching Jos Buttler, who always looks like a stand-in or makeshift keeper. You get the impression Buttler is working hard to do the job and Pakistan’s keeper is a natural.

Most modern-day Test teams prefer to play a batsmankeeper to help out with runs and, deep down, they are all hoping they can find another Adam Gilchrist. That is OK so long as your wicketkeeper does not miss chances and an opposition batsman does not then go on to hurt your team with a big hundred, as happened with Buttler’s missed stumping of Shan Masood, whose 156 could prove to be a match-winning contribution.

The difference between Gilchrist and those who have tried to copy him is that he was not a great keeper, but he made few mistakes. And when he batted he was not just good – he was exceptional.

England keep hoping that Buttler can do the same for them, but he rarely brings his white-ball batting to Test cricket. The reason is that his footwork is poor.

Buttler has tremendous hand-eye co-ordination, with a range of improvised shots that can be breathtaking. In one-day cricket, technique is low down the list of priorities. In Test cricket, technique is imperative for a batsman. If you have not got it, your success rate will be ordinary.

The best wicketkeeper-batsman I played with or saw was Alan Knott. The game today is full of statistics, but I judge a wicketkeeper on how many catches or stumpings he misses – not on how many he takes.

Every keeper is dependent on his bowlers for creating nicks and stumping opportunities. If he keeps wicket to a poor set of bowlers, he will not get the statistics. Knott missed very few chances – and he made his runs when the team were in trouble. For me, he was a genius.

Buttler is selected as a batsman who keeps wicket. Even his best friends and supporters could not say he is a top wicketkeeper. If they

did then they would be kidding themselves and trying to kid us.

Therefore, Buttler has to produce a match-changing innings – and soon. When he has a bad match, like this one at Old Trafford – missing a crucial stumping and catches that hurt the team – it is bound to put more pressure on his lack of runs.

Nobody should want him to fail or miss chances. But we cannot help him, either. He alone has to find a way to improve his wicketkeeping and score some vital runs. Otherwise, being a nice lad and a wonderful white-ball batsman should not be enough to keep him in the Test team.

Our England team are good – but not good enough to wait much longer for Buttler to improve.

His performances need to get a lot better.