Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has opened up on Jos Buttler’s recent form and said that he should not play the Test side. Boycott also wants Jonny Bairstow to keep the wicket, as he is also a better batter than Buttler in Test cricket as well.

Buttler has been going through a poor show with the bat and gloves during the ongoing Ashes series. The veteran has averaged 16, with a best of 39, across four Tests and seven innings as well. Behind the stumps, he dropped a couple of catches in Adelaide, which were also the reasons behind England’s defeat. And, in his column for The Telegraph, Boycott said that England should give chance to Buttler.

READ HERE: Wasim Jaffer names batting-order for 2nd Test vs New Zealand

He wrote: “It’s time to move on from Buttler. England can’t be sentimental or be seduced by his brilliant performances in one-day cricket. The fact is he isn’t doing enough to keep his Test place. He only has two centuries in 57 Test matches. In the Ashes, he has played 14 Test matches, and averaged 19. That isn’t good enough. Buttler should now go. He isn’t as good a wicketkeeper as Bairstow, and Bairstow is a better batsman against quality bowlers – that’s the important thing. For some time now, Buttler hasn’t delivered in Test cricket when the pressure is on.”

However, the keeper-batter won’t take part in the final Test in Hobart due to a finger injury, as revealed by Joe Root. With Jonny Bairstow also doubtful, England may have to go ahead with Ollie Pope or Sam Billings behind the stumps as well.

Geoffrey Boycott also slammed their recurring top-order failures. Once again, they were reduced to 36-4 in the first innings in the Sydney Test. He also praised Bairstow’s first-innings hundred in Sydney. However, their last-wicket pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad survived final overs successfully and ensured a draw as well. The final Test will begin on 14th January in Hobart.

ALSO READ: Fans react as the first Test between INDvNZ ended in a draw

He again added: “England or any other country can’t win Test matches if they keep being three or four wickets down for next to nothing; they were 36-4 in the first innings, and all through the series, it’s been like that. The middle and lower order are nearly always fighting an uphill battle by the time they come in. The opposition fast bowlers are on top and high on confidence.”

“Bairstow looks as if he has turned the corner with his batting – about time, too. It shouldn’t have taken that long to solve his problems. It’s not as if he has never done it at Test level because this is his seventh century, to go with 22 half-centuries. He might not be able to play the next Test match because of his thumb injury, and if he does play, keeping wickets with a damaged thumb would be stupid,” Geoffrey Boycott concluded.