Trevor Bayliss has dropped his biggest selection hints yet and - while First Test disappointment looks likely for Alex Hales - James Taylor remains very much in the frame.

The opening five day fixture between England and Pakistan gets underway in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Hales, according to Bayliss’ latest comments, it set to miss out to Moeen Ali on a place at the top of the order.

"We haven't actually sat down and made a final decision,” the England Head Coach said. “I think at this stage Mo has probably got his nose in front.

"Mo is a good enough player that he could actually be the answer. Yes, it’s not perfect, we know that, but Mo’s the type of player who could very well turn himself into that other opener.

"It’s probably not ideal. But I think Mo has shown he’s a good player against spin, he can play the pace bowling and he’s handled the pressure during that Ashes series.

"Some guys are good under pressure and someone like Moeen has shown he's got what it takes.

"He's obviously got to bowl as well, and we've got to take that into consideration.

"We know as well what an explosive player Alex Hales can be at the top of the order, and I think it'll be important to get away against that new ball,” Bayliss added as he toyed with whether the Nottinghamshire opener, who scored eight in the practice match against Pakistan A yesterday, could in fact feature with Ali dropping down the order.

"But certainly Moeen showed during the Ashes he's good under pressure and can play pace and spin.

"I'll sit down with the selectors out here over the next couple of days and finalise that team.”

The Worcestershire all-rounder himself did little to secure the opening berth having scored 41 in three innings during the two warm-up fixtures.

However, with Steven Finn and Mark Wood staking claims to feature as one of four seamers alongside likely starters James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes, sacrificing a specialist batsman provides an alternative way of facilitating the inclusion of Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

With James Taylor having underlined is prowess against the turning ball by scoring 61 in his solitary warm-up innings, meanwhile, the selection connotations in the middle-order are no less complex.

Jonny Bairstow scored a half-century of his own in the first of the two tour matches and - with Jos Buttler struggling for form - the Yorkshireman could yet take the gloves, allowing Taylor to slot into the side as a batsman.

When questioned about Buttler’s prospective inclusion, Bayliss refused to offer any assurances to the 25-year-old, suggesting that his unbeaten 31 batting for a second time on Friday may not have been enough to ensure a place.

"To be honest, I can’t confirm,” he said. "His form has been a concern and for him as well.

"But it was good to see him out there looking like he was getting his touch back this afternoon and scoring some runs. But we’ve got to make a decision.

"Playing them both is a possibility, definitely. Nothing’s off the table just yet.”

 

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