Rob Key throws Jos Buttler a Test lifeline

The 31-year-old has scored 2,907 runs in 57 Tests for England but endured a poor Ashes series and has scored just one century and three half-centuries since the start of 2020

England’s managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, has thrown Jos Buttler a Test lifeline after stating his belief that the wicketkeeper could be an "outstanding" red-ball player.

The 31-year-old has scored 2,907 runs in 57 Tests for England since making his debut in 2014 but has only scored one century and three half-centuries since the start of 2020.

In the recent Ashes series, he scored 107 runs at 15.28 in four matches and was responsible for several missed opportunities behind the stumps before succumbing to a hand injury.

Buttler was not selected for the upcoming series against New Zealand, with Ben Foakes preferred with the gloves.

However, in an appearance on The Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast, Key threw his support behind Buttler.

"At the moment, Jos is obviously playing white ball [cricket]. He's not in that Test side but I see no reason why Jos Buttler needs to retire from playing Test cricket," he said. 

^{Rob Key [Clive Rose/Getty Images]}

"Now, unless he turns around and says 'I just want to go down that white-ball path' then that's a different conversation. He's had a pretty big IPL.

"I think he'll come back and then he will start thinking about things but even if in a year's time, whenever it is, I don't see why he has to retire unless he turns around and says, 'I have no interest in the red-ball game whatsoever, it's not for me.' I always thought that he could be an outstanding Test match batsman-wicket-keeper."

On the omission of Buttler’s Lancashire teammate Matt Parkinson, who has taken 24 wickets at 25.95 in this season’s LV= Insurance County Championship, Key added: "Jack Leach was just ahead of him, that’s the only reason. And what I’ve also said this week with Brendon and Ben is we don’t have to get every decision in the first week.

“We will see. It's that balance between loyalty and making sure that everyone else around that team sees that you have a bit of faith in the people that are around."

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