Could this be the end of the line for Buttler?
Jos Buttler could be facing the end of his red-ball career after being left out of the England squad for this week’s fourth Test against India to be at the birth of his second child.
Buttler, who has never quite replicated his white-ball form at Test level, is out of the game at the oval that starts on Thursday and, with his baby due on september 10, almost certainly the final Test that follows at old Trafford.
There is also a question mark over his participation in this winter’s Ashes after he became the first of what is believed to be at least 10 players considering pulling out to speak out about the hard quarantine conditions in Australia.
In Buttler’s absence, the keeping gloves will return to Jonny Bairstow, who was unlucky to lose them two years ago when England decided Buttler provided the better all-round package.
‘We would like to wish Jos and his family all the very best for the impending birth of their second child,’ said England coach Chris silverwood, who has added Kent’s sam Billings to a 15-man squad as cover. ‘We’ll have to see if he returns for the final Test.
‘Jonny is relishing taking the keeping duties. He has the skills to take over from Jos and can score crucial middle-order runs.’
While Buttler would have been earmarked for the Ashes at the start of the year, it is fair to assume that ollie Robinson, Dawid Malan, Haseeb Hameed and Moeen Ali were not. Yet all four have forced their way back into England’s plans after playing a part in the remarkable win over India at Headingley, Robinson spectacularly so.
silverwood could not be blamed for the long-term strategy that was meant to culminate with England’s strongest side facing India in this series and peaking in the biggest clash of all, against the old enemy this winter. After all, it was based on taking on Australia with real pace in the form of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and olly stone after an archetypically English attack made little impact in the last two away Ashes that ended in 5-0 and 4-0 defeats.
And silverwood invested much in a top three that included the promise of Zak Crawley and the county achievements of Dom sibley to provide a platform for captain Joe Root to thrive and lift the urn at his third attempt.
He has had to rip up those plans after being dealt the most difficult hand since replacing Trevor Bayliss, with Covid, a controversial rest-and-rotation policy, white-ball bias and injuries combining to derail a coach now in sole control of selection.
Yet, more by accident than design, England have stumbled on a combination good enough to beat India in Leeds and halt a run of seven Tests without a win that was threatening silverwood’s reign and even skipper Root.
‘I feel lucky I have players who can come in and do the jobs they have done,’ said silverwood when asked about England’s change of direction. ‘We have created a wider group of players because of Covid and when I’ve asked these ones to step up they have done.
‘Life does throw you curve-balls every now and then, and from a fast-bowling point of view we’d love to have more available but the fact is we haven’t.’
It is no exaggeration to say Robinson looks a thoroughbred who can lead England’s attack into the post-Jimmy Andersonstuart Broad era, whenever that may be, and thrive in overseas conditions despite a lack of pace.
‘He’s put his best foot forward,’ said silverwood after Robinson took five for 65 and his second five-wicket Test haul as eight India wickets tumbled before lunch on saturday.
‘ollie does the basics very well. If there’s any movement, he finds it. He’s tall, he gets bounce and has a high release point. There’s nothing to say he won’t have a great career.’