I Think Jos Buttler Is Too High At Number 6 - Steve Harmison Addresses Wicketkeeper's Mediocre Returns In Test Cricket
Published - 15 Aug 2021, 02:56 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:51 AM

Former England pacer Steve Harmison opined that Jos Buttler is unsure of his role while batting at number 6, and that is a major factor in his indifferent numbers in Test cricket.
Since last year, Jos Buttler has replaced Jonny Bairstow, who suffered a dip in form, as the side’s wicketkeeper in Test cricket. While he made a brilliant hundred last summer against Pakistan, and there have been thirties and a few fifties around that, he still hasn’t been convincing as a Test match batsman.

In 90 innings, the Somerset lad averages 33.76, and has a couple of centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name. Recently, he has been observed to have issued against ball coming in at the line of the stumps. The Indian bowlers have exploited it nicely in the ongoing series – disturbing his stumps twice in three innings.
Jos Buttler seems to get himself bogged down: Steve Harmison
Steve Harmison pointed out that Jos Buttler, when playing a drive opens up a huge gap between bat and pad for the ball to sneak through. He felt that perhaps the right-hander should bat at 7, and not 6, as then he would have clear license to go after the bowling. Instead, at number 6, Harmison said, Buttler seems to be confused about his role.
“From an ability point of view, I think he is a better player than what he has shown right now. I think Jos is caught between a rock and a hard place as to where he wants to go about his role. He is not like Rishabh Pant, who has got a game plan, and I think, Jos is too high at number 6; I would rather see Moeen Ali at number 6 because he has a solid defence and a sounder technique when it comes to Test cricket,” Steve Harmison told ESPNCricinfo.

Harmison reckoned the wicketkeeper doesn’t look as comfortable in Test cricket as he does in white-ball cricket. Jos Buttler hasn’t been able to convert his starts into big scores, and the former pacer said he needs a mindset shift to suit his game to the longest format.
“His gap between bat and pad – you could have got a bus through it – from Test match point of view that’s not great. He doesn’t seem to go as hard at the ball in Test cricket as in ODI. He possibly needs a mindset shift because he seems to get himself bogged down. He didn’t look in any sort of rhythm; there was no comfortable movement as his does in one-day cricket,” the former fast bowler added.
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