Buttler back in Test contention

England

Jos Buttler could be reinstated as a member of England’s first choice Test team after smashing the nation’s fastest ODI ton against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday.

Buttler had not scored 50 or more in his last 22 international innings and was subsequently dropped down the pecking order in the England Test team.

However, head coach Trevor Bayliss says Buttler’s unbeaten 116 off just 52 balls puts him right back in contention to start against South Africa during the up-coming Test tour.

"It's something for us to think about, obviously. There's got to be a spot available for him, as well. It'll certainly be spoken about, I'm sure," he told the Western Morning News.

Bayliss added that he feels dropping Buttler from the Test team is exactly what allowed him to rediscover his form.

"An old mate of mine, an Australian selector a few years ago, said to me 'there's nothing like a good dropping to get a player back on track',” he said.

"It's not that Jos wasn't trying hard enough, but when he was left out there was a definite relief come over him.

"I think he felt more so that he was letting his team-mates down. He's repaid them in full, that's for sure. It just allowed him to get away, refresh his thinking – and it's done him the world of good."

England latest-news

Latest