BAYLISS MUST GET TO ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
CRICKET
TREVOR BAYLISS is set to clash with captain Joe Root over England selection today as his role in charge of the Test side comes under increased scrutiny.
Bayliss has made it plain that he believes Root should be batting at No.3 where the best players in the team should step in.
The new skipper, however, has tucked himself in at No.4 after suggesting that he gets the best out of himself in that position, even though, unsurprisingly, the numbers show that he does even better at No.5.
Bayliss has gone along with Root’s call so far because he takes the old-school view that the captain should run the team as he sees fit, but a 13th defeat in two years reflects poorly on the Aussie coach (right), who is starting to feel the heat over his inconsistent Test team.
His quiet, but positive approach has worked wonders for the white-ball teams, who have transformed their fortunes, but, in the Test arena, there is increasing uncertainty about just what Bayliss is bringing to the party.
And the dilemma over who should replace the injured Gary Ballance in the team will give Bayliss the chance to restate his desire to see Root back at three, with one or other of them leaving the meeting disappointed.
“You think Joe Root should be batting at three, well that’s what you’ve got to tell him because it is your job on the line,” said former skipper Nasser Hussain. “You’ve got to tell him, ‘Go out and bat at No.3, that’s where I want you to bat.’” Root claimed that he needed to drop down the order to No.4 in order to have more time between leaving the field as captain and walking out to bat. But another former international skipper and opening batsman has scoffed at the idea that you cannot go from one to the other quickly, especially if you learn a trick or two. “I think Joe should bat three,” said one-time Protea Graeme Smith.
“I was quite surprised that he straightaway dropped down to four.
“I opened the batting and captained and you do need to learn a few things to help you shift from leading to focus on batting.
“That No.3 position is such a cog. You can really lay a platform and take the pressure off the guys lower down.
“He is England’s best player, he needs to lead by example and I’d like to see him go up to three.”