DHAKA: Skipper Jos Buttler has defended Eng­land’s experimental selections after the world cham­pions lost the Twenty20 series in Bangla­­desh with a match to spare.

The hosts won the first T20 by six wickets and followed it up on Sunday with victory by four wickets in Dhaka.

It was a wake-up call for England’s usually ruthless white-ball unit with the 50-over World Cup on similarly tricky low-bounce pitches later this year in India.

Buttler’s side defeated Bangladesh in the preceding one-day series but lost batsman Will Jacks to injury and did not call up a replacement.

T20 World Cup-winners Ben Stokes and Harry Brook were absent after Test duties.

“It’s a different balance and it’s a different kind of feel to the team,” said Buttler, after his side was bowled out for 117 in a low-scoring match on Sunday. “I think we need to give exposure to guys, especially who, in these conditions, also will probably play a part in the 50-over World Cup. “Felt like a great chance to expose the all-rounders’ batting, maybe one spot higher than they may be in a normal team.”

Defending the move not to call up any replacements, Buttler added: “It felt like instead of calling up someone else, trying to use some guys who will be exposed to these conditions in the 50-over World Cup.”

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2023