Bayliss: We could rest star men ahead of Ashes, World Cup

Trevor Bayliss admits that England could rest some of their most important players in the forthcoming matches against Pakistan ahead of a crucial summer of cricket.

England will play Pakistan is a one-day series in May after completing their tour of the West Indies with an impressive 3-0 T20 series whitewash.

Good performances from the likes of Chris Jordan and David Willey have made Bayliss’ World Cup selection decision tougher with the head coach ready to test out some fringe players in the upcoming one-dayers.

“I think we’re getting fairly close to the final 15,” Bayliss told Sky Sports. “It’s going to make our job a little bit hard with some of the performances in this T20 series.

“Obviously, the World Cup is a 50-over competition but we’re going to have to have a good hard, long chat about that World Cup squad. We’ve got a one-dayer against Ireland and then five against Pakistan before we have to finalise that squad so there are some important games coming up.

“April 23 we’ve got to a 15 but we can change it right up until the May 22 so that Pakistan series will play a part, I think, in our final decision.”

On whether more big names could be rested for the upcoming matches against Pakistan, Bayliss added: “That’s a possibility, some of these guys (who played in the T20 series) might be the same.

“It’s going to be a long summer, there are going to be a lot of games before the World Cup, a lot of games during the World Cup and then the Ashes. So it’s quite possible that some of the guys that we know are definitely going to be in the team, we give them a rest during that Pakistan series as well.”