Ed Smith expects Jos Buttler to retain wicketkeeping duties in Sri Lanka

Buttler has kept wicket in his last 11 Tests and that is unlikely to change in Sri Lanka, despite the inclusions of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes in England's squad

Jos Buttler will retain the wicketkeeping gloves for England’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, national selector Ed Smith expects, despite the inclusion of both Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow in a 16-man squad.

Foakes was named man of the series when Joe Root’s side last travelled to Sri Lanka, winning all three games in England’s first-ever whitewash victory in a full Test series in Asia.

On the same tour, Bairstow also impressed; he only played the final match in Colombo but hit a century, bringing his overall average with the bat against the upcoming hosts to 102.4, including three hundreds in four games.

The Yorkshireman is expected to feature only as a specialist batsman, with Buttler having kept wicket in his last 11 Tests since the end of the 2019 Ashes series.

“I don’t think there will be any change there,” said Smith. “Obviously, the final decision of who keeps wicket or who walks out to bat or what number will always be made quite rightly by the captain on the field, but I’d expect continuity there.

“I would also say that Jonny Bairstow has a really great opportunity here to get back into the Test mix as a batter. That’s a really exciting possibility for him.

“He has a very good record against spin, and also we saw in different formats what a talented player he is in recent weeks. I think with Jonny, he’s missed out on selection over the last year. He’s obviously been very frustrated by that.

“This felt like just the right moment, with his pedigree as a player of spin in Asia and with some gaps in the squad as well. It felt like the perfect moment to reintroduce Jonny.”

^{Ed Smith expects Jos Buttler to retain the gloves in Sri Lanka}

Smith stressed as well that Foakes would likely be given an opportunity with the gloves at some stage of England’s winter, having spent the majority of his summer carrying drinks as a spare part in the bio-secure bubble, though it appears that he will act as Buttler’s deputy in Sri Lanka.

“I think there’s a real understanding that he’s a very good cricketer and merits opportunities,” Smith explained. “I think there will be some opportunities for him coming up at some point soon.

“Jos Buttler is likely to have a rest at some point, so that then would create and open up opportunities elsewhere.”

That time will come during the four-Test series against India, he added, when England will make changes to their squad mid-tour in order to provide break periods to players involved in multiple formats.

“We won’t be doing that at the last minute. The way to think about this winter is, it’s three blocks of two Tests: Sri Lanka, India one and two, India three and four. There may be changes beyond that too, but we think that’s the only way to make sure we balance having the right number of resources in each position and also getting rest into those multiformat players, like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and also Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes etc.”

Archer and Stokes are undergoing their rest periods immediately, missing the Sri Lanka trip as a result. Stokes’ absence also follows the passing of his father Ged. “[This is] a very difficult time for him and all our thoughts are with him and his family,” Smith said.

Ollie Pope will travel to Sri Lanka with the squad to continue his rehabilitation from the dislocated shoulder he suffered during England’s home series against Pakistan in August. Rory Burns, meanwhile, is remaining at home to be with his partner, who is due to give birth to the couple’s first child early in January.

As a result, middle order spots have opened up – not only for Bairstow, but also for Dan Lawrence, the Essex batsman who spent much of his summer in England’s bubble without making his international debut.

^{Jonny Bairstow hit a hundred in his last Test in Sri Lanka}

Smith described him as a “really talented cricketer” and a “confident player”. Currently featuring for Brisbane Heat, his Big Bash deal – initially designed to act as cover for Tom Banton – was only ever set up for five games, with the lingering hope that Lawrence would receive this Test call, a year on from dominating for England Lions in an unbeaten, landmark tour to Australia.

He seems likely to make his bow in Galle, given that England’s squad includes just five specialist batsmen, while his part-time off-spin is another useful option ahead of a period of six Tests on the subcontinent.

England are hardly short in the specialist spinner department, however. Dom Bess, Jack Leach and Moeen Ali are all included in the main squad, with Mason Crane, Matt Parkinson and Amar Virdi among seven reserves.

Adil Rashid, who was touted in some quarters for a recall on the back of his fine displays in the T20I series in South Africa, remains unavailable for Test selection, with concerns over a longstanding shoulder issue “under the strain of five-day cricket”.

“We did have many conversations,” Smith said of Rashid. “I always enjoy speaking to Adil. He’s a fantastic talent and character within England Cricket, but he’s been very honest and he does have those concerns about his shoulder and he’s going to stay where he is for the time being.

“He’s said that he would like to focus on white-ball cricket for the time being – nothing’s ruled out for the future but at the moment that’s where he sits.”

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