Pakistan vs England: Jos Buttler set to be dropped in only change for Third Test

The Lancashire wicketkeeper has looked increasingly diffident with the bat during England's tour

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (Getty Images)

In some selection circles it would be a novel concept. To England it will make absolute sense. While generally agreeing that the recent batting has too frequently been short of the necessary, they seem certain to make only one change for the third Test against Pakistan, which they must win to level the series. The wicketkeeper will be dropped.

There is a sound case for jettisoning, albeit temporarily, Jos Buttler after 15 successive Test matches since he replaced Matt Prior. He has looked increasingly diffident with the bat in his hand, the polar opposite of what makes him an outstanding player, and there is evidence to suggest that his wicketkeeping, which had begun to burgeon, is being brought low with it.

The amendment to the team for the match starting in Sharjah on Sunday (and presumably for the series in South Africa which quickly follows) will mean a reshuffling of the pack and spare others who deserve equal scrutiny. But England, 1-0 down with one match left, must feel they have to be seen to do something after Saturday’s alarming disintegration which led directly to their loss by 178 runs.

The riveting defensive action to try to secure the draw and keep the series level came to nought. Buttler played a little but desultory part, lasting nine balls in the first innings and 26 in the second without looking secure in either and making errors which cost two catches.

“It’s no secret that he has obviously been struggling a little bit,” said Trevor Bayliss, the England coach yesterday. “It doesn’t mean that he’s not trying his guts out, he’s a very passionate guy, he wants to play for England, he wants to do well for England and I’m convinced he will do well over a number of years.

“But as we all know, there aren’t too many cricketers who have ever played the game who haven’t had a bit of time out of the team. Sometimes that’s a relief for players when it eventually happens. But we haven’t made the decision yet, we will sit down in the next couple of days and discuss all of those points.”

That sounded as though Bayliss had already held the conversation with himself, though he will make his recommendation with a heavy heart. He clearly recognises that an exceptional talent is merely in temporary abeyance and the deal is not quite done yet.

“My philosophy has always been I would like to give somebody one too many goes rather than one too few then you find out one way or another,” he said. Although his comments were directed at Moeen Ali as opener, they may as well apply to Buttler too.

As much as anything else, of course, Buttler is a victim of the fact that the wicketkeeper has to be an all-rounder. That brooks no argument anywhere these days in any form of the game. Indeed, Buttler had kept wicket in only 19 of his 68 first-class matches for Somerset between 2009 and 2013 and then in another eight for Lancashire where he went in search of more opportunities before making his Test debut in July last year. He made a decent fist of it too, averaging 35 for Somerset, 40 for Lancashire.

He had a roistering international start with five fifties in 12 innings. But that has tailed off. Time was when a wicketkeeper might be able to avoid all this. Not now.

In the case of Buttler, there is Jonny Bairstow waiting in the wings and Bairstow scores bundles of runs and bats prodigiously for Yorkshire, champions twice in succession. He has not quite nailed the No 5 batting position but a drop a place or two in the order could help him to prosper.

There is also the one-day team to be considered. This will play an increasingly important part in England’s planning. For the reason why, all you have to do is look where the eyes of the cricket-loving world were on Sunday – not on England’s travails in Dubai, or on West Indies’ woes in Colombo, both in Test matches – but on India against South Africa in a match to decide a one-day series.

With the ICC dragging their heels, making it seem as though Nero and his fiddle were a supreme fire-fighting force, one-day cricket will ascend by default. But for now, Bayliss has batting frailties to resolve – still.

“Obviously, it’s a concern,” he said. “You don’t want it to happen very often at all. You want it to happen less and less. Our middle order, for some of them it’s the first time they have been in these conditions and they are playing against a couple of very good spin bowlers and a couple of very good pace bowlers with reverse swing.

“On the surface, in that one-off innings, we did not bat very well. If you look at the wider view I think we have actually done, not very well but we’ve shown enough from my point of view that I think the experience will do them the world of good going forward.

“They are playing in sub-continental conditions for the first time and if they can spend some time out there, which some of them have done over these first two Tests, it is a learning experience for them. Stokes for example faced 70-odd balls and I think he has made strides.”

Not exactly damning them with faint praise but Ian Bell (perhaps especially), Moeen Ali, Stokes and Bairstow owe England runs. They will owe some to Buttler in Sharjah as well.