Alex Hales is expected to be named in England’s Test squad for the series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after the selectors put county form over his struggles in the one-day series defeat by Australia.
The Nottinghamshire right-hander, who has scored 886 runs at an average of 52 in Division One this summer, had been considered the frontrunner to become Alastair Cook’s latest opening partner after Adam Lyth failed to impress during the 3-2 Ashes series win.
While he sent a message to the selectors with 189 against Warwickshire as England were collapsing in the fifth Test against Australia, doubts about Hales’ suitability crept in when, working under Trevor Bayliss for the first time, he returned only 53 runs in the five one-day games and looked out of sorts at the crease.
Despite those concerns the 26-year-old is set to be among the touring party who leave for the Emirates on 30 September, with Lyth the man to miss out. Speaking on Sunday, Bayliss admitted the Yorkshire left-hander, despite a century in his second Test against New Zealand, had endured a tricky start to his international career.
“It’s a tough season [for Lyth] to come in,” said Bayliss, who has flown home to Australia to spend 10 days with his family. “He did well against New Zealand, so he can obviously play. And Australia’s bowling attack during the Ashes, there’s not too many better in the world.”
Asked if filling the opener’s spot was a tough decision, he replied: “One of the things is that no one out there is putting his hand up to say: ‘I am definitely the player to pick.’ There is a number of good players who have had OK seasons. But I don’t think there is anyone who has made five, six, seven hundreds.
“If someone can do that, you would be putting them in the team almost straight away. There’s a message, or an opportunity, there for county players over these coming months and next season that there are spots available and up for grabs.”
While Hales comes into the squad, an alternative plan is for Moeen Ali – so effective down the order against Australia during the Ashes– to open, allowing the attacking but expensive leg-spinner Adil Rashid to come in at No8 with four quicks retained. It would appear a short-term solution with a tour to South Africa following in December.
Surrey’s left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari, who has 44 wickets in Division Two this summer, is expected to be included as the reserve spinner but has already played down his own chances as opener, despite scoring 99 against Lancashire from that position on Monday.
Speaking on the Lord’s podcast last week, the 23-year-old said: “Just because I have opened the batting and been all right at it doesn’t mean to say I am ready to open the batting in Test cricket. There would be a lot of people who would be rightly disappointed if that were to be the case.”
James Taylor, fresh from a maiden international century against Australia at Old Trafford last week, is set for a place among the middle-order batsmen ahead of Gary Ballance, who was dropped after the second Test at Lord’s in July but still has a Test average of 47.
England begin their tour with two two-day warm-up matches against Pakistan A in Sharjah before the three-Test series begins in Abu Dhabi on 13 October. Four ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals complete the tour, with squads for those assignments also set to be published, together with those involved in the Lions set-up, which will be based in the UAE this winter, will also be named, allowing additional flexibility in terms of personnel.
Possible England Test squad Cook (c), Hales, Bell, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler (wk), Ali, Wood, Broad, Anderson, Finn, Rashid, Ansari, Taylor, Plunkett.
Possible one-day squad Morgan (c), Roy, Hales, Root, Ali, Ansari, Buttler, Finn, Rashid, Stokes, Taylor, Willey, Woakes, Wood, Topley.
