Critic raises finger to test

What we have to understand now is that to some players, the Indian Premier League is more important than four test matches in India.

We may not all agree with it, and some will deny it, but that is the message coming out of England at the moment.

I have no problem with Moeen Ali going home. He was offered a break so, like others, he has taken it. I did not like the implication from England that he had ‘‘chosen’’ to miss the last two tests. I did not hear that when Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow went home.

But what was ridiculous was picking Moeen for one test when you knew he was off. Why pick him and drop a young off-spinner, Dom Bess, who is available for the whole series? What a waste of a test.

We are living in unusual times, but England are making decisions that show their focus is not the test team, like we were promised. Why did Buttler and Bairstow go home during the tests instead of being pulled out of the T20 series against India?

The T20 team are a well-oiled unit, the test side are not. After 2019, we were told England’s priority would be winning back the Ashes. But in four tests this year they have used 19 players. That shows test cricket is not the priority.

The problem is players are desperate to play in the T20 series against India because that is where they build their profile. That is the changing of the guard in international cricket.

I understand it, but let’s not take the mickey out of test cricket. This is where you need strong management. Players will always push for what they want. But it is the job of the management to say: ‘‘No, this year is about test cricket.’’

I feel sorry for Joe Root. I do not know what is going on behind the scenes, but if I was test captain I would not be agreeing to it. I would want my best team playing every test this year.

The next thing we will hear is that a couple of England players are missing the start of the test series against New Zealand in the summer because they are in the finals of the IPL.

It is not just because of the money. I also think modern players enjoy playing the whiteball game more. They say the right things about test cricket being the pinnacle, and it is for a lot of them, but a number can play all formats to a high standard and if you give them the choice on a given day, they will take T20 every time.

I have never seen a great team develop through chopping and changing. High-quality test teams roll off your tongue, like England’s in 2010 and the great Australia side. You get used to seeing the same 10 or 11 players.

England went 1-0 up and made four changes, and there could be five for the next test. Ed Smith has made some good calls, but he can overcomplicate things. I am pretty sure Bess was dropped because the data said he should have taken just seven wickets at 35.99 and not 17 at 22, which was his average after four tests this winter.

Moeen took eight wickets in the second test loss but could have gone 1-150 in the first innings. Data does not account for luck. I scored 18 test hundreds, I am sure I was