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A consistent team effort by England Lions gave them a 16-run win against UAE in Dubai and with it a 3-0 win in the series

ECB Reporters Network05-Dec-2016
ScorecardJoe Clarke top scored before he was bowled•Getty Images

England Lions completed a clean sweep of their one-day series against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai thanks to the depth of their batting and the quality of their bowling and fielding.The Lions top order failed to fire for the second game in succession after they were put in on a tricky pitch, with only Joe Clarke of the top five passing 30. But they still posted a decent total of 223 for 8, the highest of a low-scoring series, thanks to handy contributions lower down the order, led by 40 for the Surrey allrounder Sam Curran, who later impressed with the ball, alongside Craig Overton and Ollie Rayner, who both took three wickets.The UAE threatened to pull off an unlikely win led by Adnan Mufti, a 31-year-old left-hander from Rawalpindi, on his debut, but Mufti was run out by Liam Livingstone’s powerful throw from the long-on boundary with the UAE still 16 runs short.”I think it was quite good for us to be in a tight game at the end there,” said Rayner. “Their left-hander played really well and we had to work hard to get the win. Through the series we’ve had lots of different guys taking wickets with Stuart Meaker in the first game and Tom Curran in the second, and a few of us shared them out a bit today.”Overton is on his fourth Lions tour even though he is still only 22, and aiming to make up for lost time after suffering injuries in each of the last two winters. “It’s been frustrating with the injuries the last two years, but I had a good season with Somerset and so far things have been going well,” he said.Curran, returned to the team with his older brother Tom rested following his five wickets as the Lions clinched the series on Saturday, made the first breakthrough courtesy of a low one-handed catch by Clarke, who was keeping for the first time on the tour.Ben Foakes, who had worn the gloves in the previous two matches, then showed his ability in the outfield with a sharp catch at midwicket to give James Fuller his first success.Rohan Mustafa, the opener who has been UAE’s best batsman all series, was leading the charge again until he launched Rayner straight down the ground and Overton intercepted just inside the boundary. With the first ball of his next over, Rayner had Mohammed Usman, another left-hander, lbw sweeping, and when Overton claimed a deserved wicket in a probing opening burst of 4-2-2-1, UAE had slumped from 71 for 2 to 81 for 5.Rayner claimed a sharp return catch for his third wicket, and Tom Alsop snapped up Saqlain Haider at point to give Fuller his second. Then Overton returned to collect a couple more, although the Lions were relieved when Livingstone ended the last-wicket resistance.Livingstone had also made an impression with the bat, hitting two sixes in a fourth-wicket stand of 65 in 14 overs with Clarke. But they fell in quick succession to leave the Lions on 115 for 5, and they were indebted to Curran, the youngest member of the squad, for showing maturity as well as ability in partnerships of 45 with Foakes and 34 with Fuller.The Lions must now switch quickly to red-ball mode, with practice at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday before a four-day match against Afghanistan.

West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree has described Pakistan as a “very, very dangerous team” which can “demolish any opposition.”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2016Legspinner Samuel Badree has described Pakistan as a “very, very dangerous team” which can “demolish any opposition.” West Indies face them in three T20Is from Friday in the UAE and Badree insisted his side was”wary of the challenge” posed by Sarfraz Ahmed and his men despite the gap in rankings. West Indies, having won the World T20, are at No. 3 and Pakistan are No. 7.”On their day, they can demolish any opposition, and we are wary of that challenge,” Badree said. “We respect every opposition that we come up against, and we are going to do the same against Pakistan. We are going to prepare well, knowing that Pakistan are a very, very dangerous team.”The responsibility of living up to that reputation has fallen on a few rookies, and Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur gave them a glowing recommendation. “The players we have brought in – Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Sohail Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz – they take the game on. They don’t fear failure, which is fantastic. They are the guys we want to build this one-day cricket brand around.”West Indies, however, would have to find a way to cope without two of their best T20I players. Chris Gayle is injured and Andre Russell withdrew from the tour for personal reasons.”It’s a different team from the team that won the World T20,” Badree said. “We have a lot of new guys, a few players who are making their debuts on this tour. A number of our guys have been here before – the likes of [Sunil] Narine, [Dwayne] Bravo, [Kieron] Pollard. So we are looking forward to some very good games of cricket and, of course, we’d like to win the series and remain as one of the best T20 teams in the world.”One of the newer faces is opening batsman Evin Lewis, who made his maiden first-class, List A and T20I centuries in 2016 and has been named player of the year by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board. That maiden T20I ton came against India in Florida in which Lewis and Johnson Charles shared a 126-run opening stand to lay the platform for a match-winning total of 245.”I said [to myself] that this could be my opportunity to put myself on the world stage and I went out there and played positively and it paid off for me so I was happy about that,” Lewis said of the knock. “Johno [Johnson Charles] is a pretty attacking batsman like myself so there is less pressure on me. When he scores, it makes it easier for me to score also.”A factor that could make this series, which also includes three ODIs and three Tests, compelling could be the mercurial nature of both sides.”Pakistan are very similar to us in terms of their consistency – or lack, thereof,” Badree said. “One day they will give a brilliant performance, just like us, then the next, they leave a lot to be desired.”West Indies begin the tour with a warm-up match against Emirates Cricket Board XI on September 20. There is a day-night Test in the schedule as well.

The ICC has agreed to support Sri Lanka Cricket and Kusal Perera’s claim for costs and damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has said

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Jul-2016

Kusal Perera had missed Sri Lanka’s tour to New Zealand, T20s against India, the Asia Cup and the World T20 due to his suspension•AFP

The ICC has agreed to support Sri Lanka Cricket and Kusal Perera’s claim for costs and damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has said.Perera had been suspended after a Qatar-based lab found a banned substance in his urine sample, but the doping charges were dropped in May when an independent analyst found that the WADA-accredited lab’s findings were not sustainable.Though the ICC had previously said it “does not accept that it is responsible” for the consequences the lab’s findings, SLC believes it has got the ICC’s support in its attempt to obtain both costs and compensation from WADA itself.Sumathipala said the board’s request for compensation for Perera received widespread support at the recent ICC meeting in Edinburgh.”We appealed to the ICC about the injustice that had happened to Kusal, and we were given an audience at the CEOs’ meeting. I must say the committee comprising of the CEOs unanimously supported our claim,” he said. “Then it came to the board meeting, and at the board meeting we made the appeal that there should be compensation – not just the cost. It was decided that the costs and the compensation should be paid to him, because the ICC took the position that the claim made by Kusal is fair and justifiable. ICC decided to stand by Sri Lanka Cricket and support the claim.”SLC said it spent about 13 million Sri Lankan rupees (US $92,000 approx) on fighting the case. The player himself is expected to pay this figure back to the board, according to Perera’s management. The board, however, has been adamant that those responsible for the imposition of the five-month suspension on Perera should ultimately bear the costs. Sumathipala suggested that no less than 35 million rupees (US $246,000) was appropriate, given Perera’s loss of earnings during the suspension, and the “damage to his reputation”.”This kind of compensation has never ever been paid to anybody in the history of cricket,” Sumathipala said. “The ICC and SLC are together in this – the money is ultimately coming from WADA, through the ICC, to Kusal. It is a new experience for WADA as well.”Sumathipala said the board was optimistic WADA would provide compensation, as it has already accepted there was a flaw in its processes. “I don’t think we will have to go to court over it,” he said. According to Sumathipala, the ICC and WADA have also blacklisted the Qatar-based lab.Discussions with WADA are believed to be in their very early stages, though, and Perera himself is yet to be brought up to speed on the situation. SLC officials are expected to meet with Perera and his management after the player returns from the England tour on Thursday.Perera missed a full tour of New Zealand, bilateral T20s against India, the Asia Cup and the World T20 as a result of the suspension. He was also ineligible for this year’s IPL auction, as well as the initial Test squad for England as he had only recently returned to training.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager search continues to fan the flames of the rumour mill, which will seemingly go on until Daniel Levy finally makes up his mind.

It has now been nearly two weeks since Antonio Conte was sacked, and an ever-growing list has emerged listing the numerous candidates in line for the job. However, what made the issue slightly more pressing was Chelsea's decision to dismiss Graham Potter.

This added another Premier League powerhouse into the mix, searching for a successor to their recently departed boss.

Although Frank Lampard might be ready to take the job on a temporary basis, the Lilywhites need to have someone lined up for the summer, or else face losing out on their top targets to a Blues outfit that are likely a far more enticing proposition for budding bosses.

One name that refuses to disappear with regard to Spurs' vacancy is Oliver Glasner, who has earned praise for his work in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.

A pragmatic manager with similar ideals to Conte, there are reservations about just how similar the Austrian might be were he appointed. However, they have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit as reports from Sky Germany noted there was a high chance he could depart this summer.

Indeed, their reporter Florian Plettenberg commented in the last 48 hours on the situation, saying: "The trend is that Glasner will say goodbye to SGE in the summer."

Whether fans want the 48-year-old or not, this marks a huge step towards ensuring his availability should Levy seek him out.

How does Oliver Glasner play?

Preferring to employ a system with three central defenders, much like his potential predecessor, his Frankfurt side earned praise for their Europa League triumph last season against all odds.

This year, however, they find themselves deeply engrossed in a desperate battle for any European football at all.

It has been a stark drop-off, and led to an explosive interview that further aligns him with Conte. Having been sacked for such an outburst, Glasner would emulate something similar mid-way through March, claiming after a defeat: "You could play 0-0 in a game like this – but we can’t. That is also a question of quality. I don’t know how you can train quality."

Although his teams seem more high-scoring than the current Spurs outfit, they also seem to suffer from a lack of differentiation between their goals scored and goals conceded. As such, across his 60 Bundesliga matches in charge of his current side, the Europa League winner's team have scored 92 but conceded 86. They are unpredictable, at a time when Spurs need reliability.

He remains capable of the odd "tactical master stroke", as he was lauded for by journalist Stefan Bienkowski, but so did Conte.

The two share more similarities than fans would likely care to admit, and appointing Glasner could be returning to old ground in worrying fashion.

Manchester United are eyeing up a swoop for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister this summer as Erik ten Hag continues his rebuild.

What’s the latest on Alexis Mac Allister to Manchester United?

According to Argentinian reporter Cesar Luis Merlo, United are fighting it out with Liverpool and Arsenal in order to lure the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window.

Merlo claims that two of the clubs are ‘already negotiating’ with the player, although he doesn’t state which teams that is.

The south coast side were looking at £50m in order for any team to prise Mac Allister away from the club during the January window and come the end of the season, this figure may have increased.

Could Manchester United sign Alexis Mac Allister?

Ten Hag is still a few signings short of completing a team which can compete for the Premier League title and Mac Allister would certainly improve the team that’s for sure.

With the Dutchman also looking to ship out some deadwood and underperformers during the summer, the Argentinian could be a big upgrade on Scott McTominay.

Indeed, this season, the 24-year-old has registered more goals (eight to none), shots per game (2.35 to 0.78), tackles won (30 to 18) and has a higher pass success rate than the Scot (86.7% to 81.9%), proving he has been much more effective across all areas of the pitch.

Ten Hag would love to add another midfielder who can pose a significant goal threat and Mac Allister ranks in the top 5% across Europe’s big five leagues for goals, total shots and penalty kicks made, meaning United would be signing one of the finest goalscoring midfielders in the continent if they lured him to the club.

His experience at the highest level is also a big plus for the Dutchman. Reporter Roy Nemer lauded the midfielder as being “unplayable” during the 2022 World Cup final that Argentina won, and he was incredible throughout the duration of the competition.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05/10 across six matches, scoring once, creating two big chances and making 1.3 key passes per match along with taking 1.2 shots per game, displaying his attacking qualities on the grandest stage of all.

McTominay has started just nine Premier League matches for United this season, making 20 appearances overall, and it looks as though his career at the Red Devils could be coming to an end.

In Mac Allister they will have a player who is a big upgrade on the 26-year-old and one who can further strengthen United’s midfield.

Everton produced an epic comeback in their Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last night and Sean Dyche will be thrilled that his perseverance with Ellis Simms finally paid off in the dying moments of the game.

The Toffees academy graduate has had a rollercoaster season after becoming a key player whilst on loan with Sunderland in the Championship over the first half of the season with his impressive displays ultimately leading to his recall to Goodison Park in January, although his opportunities remained limited until the appointment of the former Burnley boss.

Over Dyche's eight games in charge of the Merseysiders, Simms has featured four times and his faith in the striker finally paid off in west London as the youngster earned his team a crucial point with a goal scored in the 89th minute of action.

Indeed, there is still plenty of work to be done for both Everton to survive in the Premier League this season and Simms to become a prolific presence in front of goal but the draw with Chelsea will surely instil some belief and confidence going into the remaining ten league fixtures.

If Dyche does manage to retain the Toffees' top-flight status it could be a great opportunity to give more academy graduates opportunities to prove their worth in the senior team and Tom Cannon could be the perfect addition to the attacking threat when he returns from his loan with Preston North End.

How is Tom Cannon doing on loan?

Cannon made the move to the Championship club back in the January transfer window and is earning the important first-team football needed to give a better insight into his capabilities.

Over 12 appearances so far, the 20-year-old ace – hailed a "bright spark" by journalist Tom Sandells – has scored three goals, registered one assist and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 successful dribbles, two shots on goal and winning four duels per game, proving that he is a huge attacking presence on the pitch.

It seems that Cannon has captured a lot of attention during his short time in the Championship with Hull City manager Liam Rosenior hailing the forward when the club came up against PNE last month:

"I thought Tom Cannon was outstanding, one of the best we've played against by far."

The former Everton U18s and U21s striker penned a new three-year deal in August 2022 after tallying up 97 appearances, 51 goals and 14 assists in the youth set-up, as well as earning three senior appearances in the first team before his temporary move to Lancashire at the turn of the year.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Cannon and if he can continue to produce a solid output on loan over the remainder of the season, it would put him in good stead to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Simms.

For Panesar, everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, his book

Andrew Miller21-Oct-2007Monty’s Turn: Taking My Chances by Monty Panesar
(Hodder and Stoughton; £18.99; 320pp)

Apparently Monty Panesar racked in a cool £300,000 from his publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, to regale an eager nation with the whats, whys and wherefores of a remarkable first two years of international recognition. Quite what they hoped to get in return for their investment is anyone’s guess, for as anyone who’s ever listened in on a Panesar press conference will know, verbal dexterity is not poor Monty’s forte.Monty’s forte is simple. He’s a monstrously enthusiastic cricketer with an uncanny skill for spinning a cricket ball. And that, as far as he’s concerned, is that. Everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, this book.There’s no doubt he’s a fascinating character. The first practising Sikh to play for England, the best English spinner since, arguably, Derek Underwood, and among other accolades, he’s the reigning Beard of the Year. But if you’re after a fascinating read, look away now. There are all sorts of insights that could have been offered in this book, but at every opportunity the bat is raised and the delivery fizzes harmlessly by.On Marcus Trescothick’s sudden departure from India, on the eve of Monty’s debut in Nagpur: “He went very suddenly and I don’t think that any of us really knew the full extent of the situation.” On the Fredalo scandal in St Lucia: “There is no doubt that the business affected the general mood.” On Duncan Fletcher’s resignation: “Results were disappointing over the winter, and he may have felt he’d just had enough.” Really Monty? You astound me.Clearly this was never going to be a warts-and-all expose of England’s post-2005 decline, but at £18.99 the fans who lifted Panesar into the running for BBC Sports Personality of the Year deserved a little bit of insight into the character who has captured their imaginations.Even Monty’s intriguing heritage is given the brush-off. “To be honest, cricket did not occupy much of my early life,” he declares in the first chapter, teeing up the prospect of a digression into the family life of a first-generation immigrant family – genuinely, Monty, we would be interested. Instead, ten pages and a few rushed anecdotes later, he is taking 7 for 35 for Bedfordshire Under-15s against Worcestershire, and the die of his career is cast.

From personal experience, I know that Monty loves to talk when the mood takes him, but the facts need to be wrung from him, much as his long-suffering ghostwriter, Richard Hobson, must have wished to wring his neck

A few facts about his personality do seep through. He is more than a touch obsessed by Sachin Tendulkar, he’s in gentle awe of Andrew Flintoff (and most of his England team-mates for that matter), he’s forever indebted to his original coach at Luton Indians, Hitu Naik; and his adoration for the game of cricket is such that, in perhaps the most candid confession of the entire book, he reveals his despair after being omitted for the Ashes Test at Brisbane. Fletcher took him to one side after the team meeting to give him a pep-talk, but Monty’s mind was a maelstrom. “Sorry,” he eventually said, “can you repeat that please?”In between whiles, the book is a plod from one scorecard rewrite to the next, interspersed with some truly extraordinary snippets of irrelevant detail. From personal experience, I know that Monty loves to talk when the mood takes him, but the facts need to be wrung from him, much as his long-suffering ghostwriter, Richard Hobson, must have wished to wring his neck.And so, when the enthusiasm comes, there’s no alternative but to note it down in all its glorious triviality. Take a childhood trip to India for instance – the most interesting thing that happened to Monty was, bizarrely, the sight of a Chinese boy crying in the street. The most “embarrassing” tale that he is able to bring back from the recent World Cup – surely a haven of embarrassment – was the night he turned off his air conditioning and awoke to find the floor and his kit were damp.It turns out that meeting Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe during the Lord’s Test in May was a big moment, as was Monty’s first appearance on Question of Sport. “The strange thing was that I didn’t feel nervous at all,” he says without a trace of irony. And so, after 243 pages of very occasional insight, the question arises as to what Monty might do when his playing days are over.”You know, that is something I really haven’t thought about,” he deadpans. “Some players go into the media when they retire. I am not sure that is for me.”

What the numbers say about Old Trafford

S Rajesh10-Aug-2005

Shane Warne: ready to add to his tally of 17 wickets from two Tests at Old Trafford © Getty Images
At Edgbaston, Ricky Ponting’s decision to insert England after winning the toss might have been influenced by the recent trend at that venue – teams fielding first had won nine of the 14 previous Tests – but he is unlikely to make that mistake at Old Trafford should the coin roll his way on the morning of the third Test. In 69 Tests at Manchester since 1884, only eight times has the captain won the toss and opted to field first. Seven of those matches were drawn; the only decisive result in those games was in 1993, when Graham Gooch bravely put Australia in to bat and suffered the consequences, as England went down by 179 runs. Considering that no team has won a Test here after putting the opposition in to bat, and given all the pre-match talk about another turner at Manchester, the decision at the toss should be a no-brainer. Old Trafford also has a high propensity for drawn games – 33 out of 69 (48%) have ended in a stalemate. Of the remaining 36 Tests which did produce a result, 25 went in favour of the team batting first, another reason for the captain to do just that after winning the toss. England have a 21-14 win-loss record here, and while Australia’s is only a modest 7-7 against England, they have won the last three matches, and haven’t lost a Test here since 1981. (Click here for all England-Australia Tests at Old Trafford.) You’d expect the pitch to get far more difficult for batting as the game goes on, but that isn’t necessarily so, as the table below indicates. Since 1995, the average runs per wicket is highest in the third innings, while the fourth-innings figure is a respectable 32.7. (Click here for the Test records – highest and lowest totals, best batting and bowling performances etc – at this ground.)

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings

36.032.337.732.7 The track for Thursday’s match is expected to assist the spinners, but over the last ten years, fast bowlers have done pretty well here, as the table below suggests. The last time a spinner turned a match around here was in 2001, when Saqlain Mushtaq, aided by umpire David Shepherd’s generosity in ignoring no-balls, took four wickets as England slumped to 261 all out in their second innings.

Pace – wicketsAverageSpin – wicketsAverage

18632.695140.22 The most famous bowling performance at this ground is of course Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in 1956, but in their current squad the Australians have one spinner who has been tormenting England for a while now. He answers to the name Shane Warne, and he has especially enjoyed the conditions at Old Trafford, taking 17 wickets in two Tests at less than 15 apiece. Only one short of reaching the 600-wicket milestone, chances are he’ll go well beyond that figure by the time this Test is done. Add a batting average of 35.50, and Australia have an outstanding allrounder in their midst, at least at this ground.

Warne at each venue
in EnglandTestsBowling averageBatting average

Old Trafford214.5935.50Trent Bridge

318.1418.33Lord’s419.588.75Edgbaston

421.7624.50The Oval323.3021.50Headingley

389.330.00 Among England’s current lot of players, only Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles have played more than one Test at Old Trafford. The first three have done pretty well (click on the player names for Vaughan, Trescothick and Hoggard stats at this ground), but Giles’s nine wickets have cost him more than 38 apiece.

Manchester United have finally seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move to acquire a 25 percent stake at Old Trafford approved by the Premier League and the FA.

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Ratcliffe agrees deal in DecemberPremier League approve it on TuesdayFA follow suit on WednesdayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at the club was approved on Tuesday following an independent review, as the Manchester-born billionaire now looks set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the team moving forward. The Football Association also approved the deal on Wednesday.

AdvertisementWHAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE SAID

A statement released by the Premier League read: "'Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300 million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

"The Board agreed to the change of the club's ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.

"The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed. This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ratcliffe completed the initial deal to acquire the share of the club back in December and has now passed the Premier League's Directors' and Owners' test. The 71-year-old is set to gain complete control over footballing operations, despite only owning a minority share at Old Trafford. Completion of the deal is expected by the end of the week when Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of Class A shares.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

For now, United themselves will look to continue to impress on the pitch following their late winner against Aston Villa last weekend. Erik ten Hag's men are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions and face Luton Town in their next fixture.

International T20 should be the pinnacle of the format, not domestic leagues, according to Jos Buttler who does not endorse the view of England coach Trevor Bayliss that T20Is be restricted to a period around World T20 events. However, he added his voice to the growing calls that something needs to be done about the scheduling to ensure all three formats can co-exist at the top level.Two of his team-mates, Alex Hales and Adil Rashid, have recently halted their first-class careers to focus on the white ball and Buttler admitted the thought of similar had occasionally crossed his mind. For now he will keep his options open and sees a window to return to Championship cricket for Lancashire at the backend of the 2018 English season.In so many ways, Buttler is the template of the modern cricketer: forging his name in the white-ball formats, and spending months on the road even though he doesn’t feature in the Test team. He has been away since the end of October, starting in the Bangladesh Premier League, into the Big Bash and now England duty. He will have a couple of weeks at home before the IPL which runs until late May. The leagues are all his choice, so there may not be vast sympathy from some, but for in-demand players the schedule is unrelenting.Bayliss’ suggestion, put forward after the T20 tri-series where England failed to impress, was for the shortest format to be largely left to domestic structures but Buttler, who earlier this month told Sky Sports that he could see cricket being a one-format game in 20 years, remains a country over club man.”I wouldn’t be a fan of that. I don’t think that’s the right way to go,” he said. “I think T20 cricket is so strong, then surely the pinnacle – as it would be for guys wanting to play Test match cricket – should be playing for your international side.”I think for a professional cricketer, in any form of the game, your aspirations are always to represent your country.”Jos Buttler drills one down the ground•Getty Images

Endorsing the international T20 game further, Buttler added that the format deserves more than one-off matches tagged on to the start or end of a tour. The game is heading that way, with the recent tri-series attempting to bring more meaning to the games, while the number of three-match series are increasing.”Some tours where there have been three and three [T20s and ODIs] have been a really enjoyable split from the players’ point of view, it gives both formats relevance and competition. If you’re just going to play one T20 thrown on the end, it almost doesn’t seem like there’s much on it or much point to it.”Buttler said he still valued the five-match ODI series but did agree that something has to give if the game wants to stop players opting out of a format – although he suggested that the one to make way should not always have to be first-class or Test cricket. Earlier this week, Eoin Morgan said the only way Test cricket would survive would be if the money on offer matches that available in T20 leagues around the world.”There’s nothing wrong with people being Test match specialists either,” Buttler said. “There is no reason why a young player couldn’t say ‘I am going focus all my ambitions and efforts to be a Test match cricketer’.”I think it comes down a little bit to what you’re trying to get from the game and how you see yourself fitting into it. It may not be possible to do all three, but there’s no reason why people can’t specialise in red-ball cricket as well as white-ball.”For those that want to play all three formats, the game is already asking too much. “There aren’t many people around the world who are capable of doing it,” he said. “In England, we have three or four, but obviously, with all the cricket and scheduling, they don’t play every single game of every format, because it’s probably not quite possible. It’s not an easy thing to do, and that’s why the guys who do it are the best players.”On his own Test ambitions, which Buttler has repeatedly said remain intact albeit distant at the moment, he replied “maybe” when asked if not adding to his 18 caps would leave him unfulfilled but has reminded himself of the 18 matches he has played.”I don’t want to have too many regrets. I’m obviously very fortunate to have played Test cricket at all,” he said. “I was thinking about it the other day – that one thing you’d want to get out of a Test career would be winning an Ashes series in England.”Not that I performed very well. But I’m lucky enough to have that, and no one will ever take that away from me. You’re always desperate to do as well as you can, and fulfil your promise and potential as much as you can. But I won’t lose any sleep over it.”