BUTTLER’S CHANCE FOR OPENING SALVO

JOS BUTTLER has been compared to Ben Stokes as he prepares for a new phase in his career as England’s Twenty20 opener. Victory for Eoin Morgan’s side at Edgbaston today will send Australia packing with six defeats out of six after their 5-0 loss in the one-day series. Stand-in coach Paul Farbrace believes Buttler’s firepower is best exploited at the top of the order where he can face as many balls as possible. Asked if he had been more excited by an England player than Buttler, who made 275 runs for twice out during the 50-over games, Farbrace replied: ‘Probably not. Maybe Stokes at times. He gets you off your seat. He has played fantastically well. ‘In T20 you need your best players facing as many balls as possible. The great thing is he is a not a slogger. He’s a proper strokeplayer.’ Alex Hales will drop down to No 3 after opening in all 52 of his Twenty20 internationals. Farbrace, who is taking charge of this game plus the three T20 matches against India to give Trevor Bayliss a breather, admitted he would find it hard to turn down the head coach’s role once Bayliss’s contract is up at the end of next summer. ‘If Andrew Strauss said we want to offer you the job, or — as has been discussed — splitting it, it would be so difficult to say no to that,’ he said.