Trevor Bayliss is keen to persist with Adil Rashid as a Test cricketer but accepts the leg-spinner’s initial foray into the format has highlighted areas of his game in need of improvement; no free ride, insists the England head coach, will be given.
Bayliss has championed Rashid’s cause since taking over in June, including him in all five of the Ashes squads before finally handing him a Test debut, seven years after his first call-up, at the start of the 2-0 series defeat by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
The 27-year-old, who continues on the one-day and Twenty20 legs of the tour following the departure of England’s Test specialists, found the going hard, taking only eight wickets at 69 runs apiece as Misbah-ul-Haq’s side milked him for four runs an over with relative ease.
For Bayliss, who set up a training session for Rashid with Shane Warne before the third Test in Sharjah, the Yorkshireman’s five for 64 in the second innings of the series opener in Abu Dhabi, a performance that came close to setting up victory only for bad light to intervene, means patience will be given provided the player recognises his shortfalls and puts the hours in.
“He took five-for in that first Test so he has the skills available to him,” said Bayliss. “It’s about harnessing that skill and doing it on a more consistent basis under the type of pressure we’ve seen against these batsmen. He certainly has the skill-set there but it will take some time, I think.
“In other circumstances, a young guy has played his first three Tests, he’s taken a five-wicket haul, batted extremely well and fitted into the team off the field extremely well. If it was against another team that wasn’t as good as against spin [as Pakistan] the results might have been a lot better.
“It’s a tough initiation against these guys. That’s not taking away from the fact he has some improvements to make and things to work on. It will be hard work; it’s not going to be a free ride.”
While still new into the role and not fully acquainted with the county game, Bayliss is not blind to the dearth of spin bowling in English cricket at present; rising from sixth in the Test rankings to becoming the world’s No1 side, he claims, will not be achieved without “two or three top-line spinners”.
In the short term, he must decide if Rashid will benefit from being one of two spinners for December’s tour of South Africa, where conditions will likely dictate that only Moeen Ali plays. This will not be as an opener, however, with Moeen’s continuation alongside Alastair Cook appearing out of the question after scoring only 85 runs in six innings. Alternatives, with Alex Hales seemingly heading up the queue, will be discussed at next week’s selection meeting.
Ian Bell, despite fears in some quarters of a batsman in decline amid a year in which he has averaged 25, looks set to continue at No3, however, with Bayliss assured by the 33-year-old that he retains the hunger to continue an international career that began 11 years ago but was mulled over at the end of the Ashes win in August.
“He’s made it known to the coaching staff that he wants to go on, to South Africa and beyond,” said Bayliss. “Our middle order hasn’t got a lot of experience. But, as with anyone, it doesn’t matter how experienced you are – performances do count. When any player gets closer to the end of the career than the start, there are always questions. It will come down to how badly he wants it.”
Another backed for that four-Test series, starting in Durban on Boxing Day, is Jonny Bairstow, who Bayliss is keen to retain as wicketkeeper for the foreseeable future following the decision to drop Jos Buttler before England’s 127-run defeat in Sharjah. Like the player he replaced, Bairstow will be given the opportunity to nail down the spot.
