If you pick anyone averaging ~35 they'll have a good run you can pick out eventually. Which also coincides with him batting at 6 a lot, and playing a lot of spin-dominated scenarios. It's incredible how different his records are between batting 6, and batting 7/8. He hasn't scored a half-century batting further down the order since Sep 2018. Batting at 6 he averages over 50. Everywhere else 30 or lower and the strike rate is basically the same wherever he bats.
This doesn't show adaptability. He hasn't cracked how to bat at 7, which is where he could add a lot of value if he were a Gilchrist-lite. But he ain't. It's a myth.
Foakes' record is still better, and he's a better keeper. So deserves a run to show whether his batting can stand up, or not. I'd also be inclined to have Buttler bat at 6 if he's in the side, even if it means moving Pope to 7.
Firstly Pope far too good to be seven, secondly far to much attention is paid to stats and averages on here, there a yardstick yes, but not the be and end all, as your Buttler stat proves, it will be a lot easier for Buttler to bat and 7 than 6 yet like you say his record is better, it’s coincidental nothing else, it’s not that he has not cracked batting at 7!
Always confuses me why overall stats are used as a argument and guide rather than current form, somebody who may have scored loads of runs 7 years ago in the county championship upping their FC career average should not be used as a guideline of who to pick now!
It should be current form and Buttler by anyone’s standard is in very good form, he is also the man for when under pressure, the fact his first class record is not brilliant because he may not have scored loads of runs 5 years ago in the county championship I find irrelevant.
As a example of my point in another sport Patrick Bamford overall record in the premier league for scoring goals is terrible, yet at the moment he is in brilliant form, can you imagine Leeds dropping him on the basis that his career stats are not good!
Of course not.
Cricket to me is about picking players on form, players who have the character to win games when the pressure is on, and over the last 18 months Buttler has shown that in abundance.