Jos Buttler in a dilemma over choosing country or IPL

Jos Buttler is in a dilemma over his cricketing future as he decides whether to go for his Test place or play in this year’s Indian Premier League. His recent performances make him a hot property ahead of the IPL 2016 auction and it brings up a dicey situation for the explosive batsman.

Buttler was dropped from England’s Test team during the tour of UAE, having averaged 13 with the bat in the seven matches in which he played from the start of the Ashes. While he retained a place in the squad for the tour of South Africa, he has had to watch as his replacement, Jonny Bairstow, scored his maiden Test century in Cape Town to cement his role for the rest of the series.

Initially, Buttler was keen to return to Lancashire and attempt to cement his England place by performing well in the County Championship. But with Bairstow now assured of a prolonged run in the side and the ECB keen to see their players gain more experience of playing in overseas T20 tournaments such as the IPL or Big Bash, Buttler is rethinking that view.

While it is possible that Buttler and Bairstow could feature in the same Test side – for all his excellence with the bat, Bairstow has yet to totally convince with the gloves and at some stage could be picked as a specialist batsman – it seems unlikely in the short term. The 2016 IPL season starts on April 9, a week after the final of the World Twenty20 in Kolkata, and ends on May 9, with players expected to report – subject to international duty – a week before the start.