Jos Buttler questions England rotation policy after Test team's struggles without key players

Jos Buttler has suggested that England could have shown more flexibility in their controversial rotation policy, which has seen crucial players miss recent Test matches, including the Test series defeat at home to New Zealand.

Buttler left England’s tour of India after a superb victory in the opening Test, taking a pre-arranged break that saw him miss the final three Tests as India recovered to win the series 3-1. He also did not feature against New Zealand, after returning from the Indian Premier League.

“I think you do need an element of flexibility,” he said. “You have to find a balance. We like to plan, and if you were just sucking it and seeing going into the biggest year of international cricket, you’d probably say that’s quite a lack of planning. So I think there has to be an element of flexibility, but I think it’s very important to plan as well.”

Buttler said that paring back England’s relentless schedule - they will play 16 Tests in 2021, as well as contesting the T20 World Cup - could mean that players do not need to miss as many international matches, suggesting that England might be playing too much international cricket.

“That's probably a really good question for all the administrators isn't it? I think in terms of how much cricket we play, we play a hell of a lot and we understand it's a short career and you want to be available and play as much as you can. But at certain times, I don't think is possible - and I think Covid has complicated that even more.

“It's an age where we've got to look after people and applaud that the guys are trying to be forward-thinking. Is it perfect? No, of course it's not, I don't think so, but I'd rather we look after our guys.

“I don't think there are any perfect answers. I think in England we're playing a lot of cricket, more than most. And obviously there's a lot of cricket left this year and there's some big cricket to come up. So, those breaks were put in there - I think it's important for everyone to be looked after really well.”

After making his international comeback in the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Cardiff on Wednesday, Buttler expects to be available for all five Tests against India this summer and all five Ashes Tests in Australia. “That’s the dream, isn’t it? Be available, hopefully fingers crossed. I want to play as much as I can.”

After an impressive streak of six wins and two draws in their last eight Tests up until Buttler’s last Test in Chennai, England have drawn one and lost four of the five Tests that Butler has missed since. Buttler was in fine form before leaving India, averaging 56 in his last eight Tests.

“It’s always disappointing when you miss cricket. I was feeling in good touch,” Buttler said. “Those rest periods are there because it probably allows you to throw yourself into everything when you are involved. If it’s an endless piece of string then at some point you are going to burn out. Of course, it is disappointing to miss games - you want to play everything.”

Buttler explained that there is “an open discussion with the players and the management and the coaches looking forward to the year,” about which matches players miss, denying that Test cricket has been marginalised by the management. “I don't think there's any preference for any formats at the moment, you're just trying to work it out as to however your year looks.”

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook also criticised the rotation policy. “When you look at it in isolation it doesn’t make that much sense what happened,” he said. “They’ve ended up chasing their tail - ending up with a fifth-choice wicketkeeper, an unbalanced side even though people were playing the Blast.”

Cook believes that the Test side had been neglected. “I genuinely feel sorry for Joe Root because he hasn’t had his best players available,” he added. “You’ve got a Test captain who hasn’t been able to play his best side yet we seem to be playing a full-strength side in the T20s against Sri Lanka. The decisions don’t look like they’ve been made correctly.”

Buttler confirmed that he does not expect to play in the remainder of this year’s Indian Premier League, which is set to be played in September and October and will clash with England’s limited-overs tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan before the T20 World Cup. “Usually the pocket of the IPL doesn’t clash with any international games, which makes it a very easy tournament to be available for. When it clashes with international cricket, England will take precedence I’d have thought.”

While Buttler has batted at No 4 for Lancashire in the T20 Blast this year, he expects to return to opening against Sri Lanka. Buttler has an outstanding record opening for England in T20, averaging 48. “I’ve been opening for England in T20 cricket for a while now, and I think it’s gone OK, so hopefully that will continue.”

Woakes eager to move on after 'wasted' winter

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has admitted that the past nine months feel like “a waste” and “really frustrating” after missing out on international cricket since being named England’s player of the summer in 2020.

Woakes has bowled just 18 overs since last summer, and not played for England at all. He missed the two Tests in Sri Lanka after being a close contact of Moeen Ali, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 when the squad arrived, was not selected for the Test series in India and then rested from the one-day international series.

After going to the Indian Premier League, which was suspended midway through, Woakes had a break from the bubble during England’s Test series against New Zealand.

“I think the best way of putting it is it’s been a frustrating winter for me,” Woakes said. “It’s certainly been a tough seven or eight months. Not playing a single game, after the summer I had, almost felt like a bit of a waste.

“It’s still great to be with the squad, but you want to be playing cricket and making the most of your form when you’re hot. I just want to put it behind me and look to what’s ahead.”

Woakes admitted to particular frustrations over England’s plans that he should car-share with Moeen, who also lives in Birmingham, to travel to Heathrow Airport last January, before the tour of Sri Lanka. It meant that when Moeen tested positive for Covid-19, Woakes had to self-isolate, which would have been avoided had they taken separate vehicles to the airport.

“I vented my frustration at the time,” he said. “There have been apologies and things like that but, at the end of the day, it was an unfortunate situation we were put in and I missed out because of that.

“I thought I was a shoo-in to play that first Test in Sri Lanka. It did have a knock-on effect to the rest of my winter. Every stone was turned and we didn’t leave anything to chance, but that was the one thing we did not quite get right and obviously I paid a price.”

It is perhaps surprising that the hiatus in Woakes’s international career should end in Twenty20, as he has not played for England in the format since 2015. But he impressed in his brief IPL stint with the Delhi Capitals this year, showing a capacity to take wickets with the new ball, and hopes to break into the final squad for the T20 World Cup in October.

“It is nice to back with the team, especially with the T20 set up because I haven’t been here for a while,” he said. “I thought I might have played my last, so it did come as a bit of a surprise. I am not just here to make up the numbers – if I get a go I will be trying to stake a claim.”

Woakes said that he could have been available for the Tests against New Zealand, but after discussions with head coach Chris Silverwood, decided that he needed some time away from bubble life.

“It’s tricky, I spent a lot of time away from home and it had taken its toll mentally,” he said. “I felt I needed a refresh and some time at home with the young family. I put up the pros and cons of missing that two-match series. It was very much in our hands.

“I spoke to Spoons [Silverwood] and the rest of the backroom staff and they said, ‘As much as we feel you probably should have a breather and get away from cricket, it is on you. If you want to be part of it we’ll definitely let you’. I decided that little break would do me good in the long run.”