Thursday 25 June 2015 19:53, UK
Jos Buttler is confident the new “feel-good factor” in the England squad can translate to Ashes success.
The England one-day squad gave a reinvigorated showing against New Zealand in their one-day series win with Butler scoring 183 runs across three matches.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper missed the fifth and final one-day international against New Zealand after splitting the webbing in his hand but is set to travel with the 14-man squad to Spain for a training camp.
Buttler is confident England will continue to make “strides in the right direction” in Spain, where the team will meet new head coach Trevor Bayliss for the first time.
“I think that feel-good factor that’s been created over the last few weeks, and the enjoyment factor that everyone’s got from playing in that and watching that, I’m sure will cross over to the Tests,” Buttler told Sky Sports HQ.
“It’s great that we can get everyone together in an environment away from all the spotlight and just get to know the coach, get to do some planning.
“I’ve heard some great reports about him (Bayliss), and obviously he’s worked closely with (interim coach) Paul Farbrace before, so I’m sure it will be a pretty seamless transition.
“I feel like my cricket’s been going in the right direction for 18 months, two years now, I’m really excited with the way I’m progressing.
“I’ve got huge strides to make still, but I think my self-confidence has grown in that time, growing into the role a bit better, and we’ll find out how it goes in these Tests.”
England will need to harness Buttler’s form and that feel-good factor throughout its Test ranks to stand any chance against Australia and, according to former England captain Michael Vaughan, it is up to the incoming players to echo the spirit of the ODI side.
“You look at the one-day series and it was the senior core really who produced the magic – Buttler, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan,” Vaughan said.
“They were the guys that were really consistently performing and I think it’s going to take the senior core of Bell, , Cook, Anderson and Broad to do exactly the same in the Ashes series for England to compete.”
