Trevor Bayliss says James Taylor would benefit England’s middle-order should he be selected for the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah.
The tourists’ head coach praised the Nottinghamshire batsman's prowess against the turning ball and insisted he is in good form ahead of the must win fixture which gets underway on Sunday.
“He’s probably one of our better players of spin,” said Bayliss.
“He’s quick on his feet, gets down the wicket quick, sweeps, plays back nice and I think he showed in the practice matches we played that he can play well over here.
“So to have someone like that probably somewhere in the middle order would be a benefit to the team.
“He’s a good fielder, a good team man and he’s doing all the right things. He’s in form and can’t do any more.”
There could also be good news for Notts all-rounder Samit Patel as England consider the merits of selecting an additional spinner alongside Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid for the third and final match of the series.
“We have been thinking about playing a third spinner in Sharjah,” added Bayliss. “We’ll have to wait and see the wicket.
“I think the strength in our bowling has been our pace attack so we don’t necessarily want to change that. We’re going to have to wait and see.
“This is a must-win game for us so I’m sure that’ll play some sort of part in our decisions.
“We need to score some runs in that middle order and we are disappointed with our spin bowling as well.
“I will say Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are bowling against some of the best players of spin in the world but I think it’s a great learning curve. They are learning quickly and I’m sure they’ll get better.”
The news, however, does not seem to be so positive for Alex Hales after Bayliss hinted that Ali’s stint at the top of the order will continue.
Ian Botham led the chorus of pundits calling for the Worcestershire all-rounder to rejoin the ranks of the lower middle-order ahead of the third Test, after he was twice dismissed for one during the 178-run defeat in Dubai.
Assistant Coach Paul Farbrace admitted mid-Test that England's makeshift opener was finding his new position in the order tough, but Bayliss moved to quell speculation regarding a change of tactics for Sharjah.
"The opening batting position has not been a success as of yet. Personally, I would probably like to give Mo another opportunity," said Bayliss.
"He is a quality player and is in a position that he is a little unfamiliar with, but he is a guy that wants to do it. For me, somebody that wants to go out there and do it, that's a guy you want in your team."
The 2015 season has seen dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.