He was player of the series in Sri Lanka, then dropped after everyone had a bat time with the bat in the Windies to accommodate Bairstow as he wants to be keeper.
Bairstow showed in 2016 that he's our best batsman after Root, like myself many feel he should focus on batting. Taking the decision away from him, giving Foakes the best keeper in the country the gloves.
Bairstow doesn't keep in the ODI's and just look at what he's done with the bat as a result.
Foakes averages 29 this season with 5 half centuries, not fantastic. But I feel getting Bairstow back to his best with the bat is likely to yield better results for England, as he's clearly better than Denly, Roy and Buttler in terms of middle order players.
Keeping is a distraction to getting a player to rediscover his form. Sangkarra averaged 66 as a batsman and 40 as a keeper.
Foakes is not playing well, and he is way over rated, long term in the side? possibly but he needs more runs behind him
I have nout against him butjust sick of hearing his name, its canny mad how rated he is, like the second coming
Heard this for years about Leach, must player over Ali etc, then when he comes in, he is mo more than steady.
Jennings got a 100 in Sri Lanka too, its not much of a marker for scoring runs in England
Bairstow isn't a top 5 player, he is a number 7, and again said this a million times, people try and blame the lower order when its the top 5 that are the issue.
We have lost our 2nd home series (well we haven't lost actually) in 7 years, no need to change the whole side
They have 100% done the right thing keeping the squad, Roy has been shafted by Ed Smith and probs can't recover, but you give him another game in the middle order, we shouldn't panic, we have missed our best bowler, and Smith and a world class bowling unit have won it.
I'd appoint a new selector, new coach, then lets see how we want to play first and have a clear plan, not just pick names from a list of averages and say pick him, him, him
I do talk a lot of shite, but I have always been very consistent over the last 3 or 4 years about how I see England
The strength is our lower order, Root has to play 4, then You have Stokes at 6, Bairstow at 7, Ali (if he is in form, he was rightly dropped for a break) at 8.
I think Buttler won't score enough runs as a batsman, but he should be in and around the squad.
Teh issues are simpe, find a top 3 who can bat time, and set the game up for the middle order from Root downwards who can play their natural way, don't shoe horn players out of position, look at whats happened to Root
We have found one in Burns who has done OK, Denly shows he can bat time, but needs replacing long term
Then we could maybe move Stokes to 5 and try someone like Pope at 6 before slowly moving him up the order
Sorry for the rambling length of the post
England lost their way over last 18 months under Ed Smith when Root was moved to 3, we had Stokes at 3 one time, Ali at 3 and 5, Bairstow at 3,4,5
Yet these are the ones who get criticised, leave them in their best positions and then lets find some top order players, we found Burns, why can't we find some more?
Surprised Sam Northeast isn't mentioned by more people as a potential call-up and #3, especially as there are clear question marks over Root's captaincy.
Yeah he has been just about the best run scorer when fit in CC for as long as I can remember, just a run getter, surprised never even been talked about.
Our top 3 needs to be picked on charachter and players who can churn it out, our 4 to 7 will score runs if that happens, and we have the freedom of the best young talent like Pope at 6
Its a shame Roy never got the chance to have a series at 6, cant believe Ed Smith and James Taylor, they let him down
