PAKISTAN TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2016

Bayliss hints at promoting Stokes, Moeen and Bairstow up the batting order

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Jonny Bairstow could be promoted up the order, according to coach Trevor Bayliss © Cricbuzz

Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, has floated the idea of promoting middle-order troika of Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow in the batting line-up, in order to address the current batting deficiency in the national Test side. The Alastair Cook-led team had to share the spoils of the four-match Test series with Pakistan, during which its brittle batting line-up came under the scanner.

"Moving Stokes, Moeen and Bairstow up the order is one of the things I've been thinking of and I'm sure the other selectors have thought along those lines as well," Bayliss said on Monday (August 15).

"We did give Moeen a go in the UAE a lot higher than the middle order and it didn't quite work. But that's the issue: they score so many runs at five, six and seven, do you risk them not scoring those if you put them a bit higher? The way we've been going, putting them a bit higher is definitely an option. It certainly worked with Joe Root going up to three. That's high on the agenda, I would have thought," he added.

Bayliss has also called on the players in the domestic circuit to step up and prove their mettle by scoring runs in heaps to make it to the national side, while also pointing out that some of them who've been earmarked as future stars seem to have baulked under the pressure of expectation.

"There's a month to go in the county season and there's a challenge out there for some of those other guys to put their hand up and keep scoring runs. There doesn't seem to be anyone crying out to be selected above anyone else. There's a number of guys we've seen score some runs earlier this season under a bit of scrutiny when their names are mentioned about the possibility of getting into the team. Some of them have dropped off," Bayliss said.

Bayliss raised concerns after the likes of Alex Hales, Gary Ballance, James Vince flattered to deceive against Pakistan. The head coach believes Hales and Vince have had a 'decent run' in the national side in Tests, and reckons some 'tough decisions' will be taken when the selectors meet next month.

"We're still looking for consistent contributions from some of the middle order. We're due to meet in about the second week of September to select the Test and ODI squads for those winter series and there will be some tough decisions to be made," Bayliss said.

© Cricbuzz

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