Could bold selections spark England surge?

England’s new national selector, Ed Smith, has made bold decisions bringing Jos Buttler back into the fold and adding off-spinner Dominic Bess to his first squad

England’s new national selector, Ed Smith, has made bold decisions bringing Jos Buttler back into the fold and adding off-spinner Dominic Bess to his first squad. The Three Lions’ hierarchy has undergone a restructure following back-to-back Test series defeats to Australia and New Zealand over the winter, with James Whitaker standing down from his role after five years. Smith has backed the unique ability of Buttler, despite his time away from the longest form of the game, while Bess has been sent into the line-up in the wake of Jack Leach’s broken thumb. Whether both players are picked in the starting XI remains to be seen for the opening Test against Pakistan, but Joe Root’s men are in need of a spark to get back to winning ways in the five-day format.

Pakistan proved their worth on English soil on their last tour in 2016, earning a draw. They have lost a great deal of experience from their side since the two teams last met, with Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retiring from the game. There is still quality in the ranks of the Green Army, boasting the talents of Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam, while Shadab Khan and Mohammad Abbas have shown promise in their early Test careers. As a result, Sarfraz Ahmed’s men could be worth considering with one of the free bets offered via Oddschecker, with over £100 of credits available at Bet365 for signing up. Pakistan were able to see off the threat of Ireland in the opening Test of the tour, defeating the minnows by five wickets at Malahide after being given a slight scare.

^{Dom Bess (with Paul Farbrace) could make his Test debut}

Ahmed’s men will have to take their game to the next level against England, who defeated both South Africa and the West Indies last summer. For all of their recent problems in the Test match arena, the Three Lions are a good outfit on home soil. They’ve lost just one series since 2014, which came surprisingly at the hands of Sri Lanka - although, it did come early in the campaign and was played over two Tests. As a result, Pakistan will fancy their chances to catch England cold and put further pressure on Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss after a difficult winter.

The boldness of the selections of Buttler and Bess could provide a spark to the ranks. Ben Stokes missed the Ashes, but could not make a big impact in the series against New Zealand. Buttler has been outstanding in the Indian Premier League, however, one of England’s primary pitfalls in their recent defeats to Australia and New Zealand were related to the standard of their batting. There have been far too many loose drives as far as England’s batting order has been concerned, with their manner of dismissals sparking much frustration. A lengthy spell in the IPL will not have prepared Buttler and Stokes for the rigours of Test match cricket and facing the moving ball.

^{Buttler will come in at No.7 as a specialist batsman}

Therefore it was a gamble by Smith to put his faith in Buttler. He averages 31.36 in 18 Test matches, scoring six fifties with a high score of 85. Buttler will come into the side to replace James Vince, who was ousted due to the familiar act of his dismissals at the highest level, despite the Hampshire man scoring a double-century in the County Championship. The decision suggests that Smith will not be swayed by form in the English domestic game when it comes to rare talent. Although players plying their trade in the County Championship will not be thrilled when their efforts in the future could well be overlooked.

Bess has not enjoyed a great start to 2018, but he did impress in the 2017 season for Somerset. He notched 36 wickets in nine matches at an average of 23.21. Without Leach, England needed a spinner to offer variety in their attack. Moeen Ali was poor throughout the winter and rightfully lost his place in the side, despite offering a great option down the order with the bat. Should Bess continue his fine start to his fledgling first-class career, England may well have found their long-term answer to replacing Graeme Swann. The 20-year-old will not come into the side with the weight of expectations and could well flourish in the side.