The national selector Ed Smith insists that Jos Buttler retains the full confidence of England’s management and his team-mates after the out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman kept his place for next month’s Test tour of Sri Lanka.
Buttler, who averaged just 16 in the recent Test series in South Africa, was named in a 16-man squad for the two-match series alongside the top-order batsman Keaton Jennings, who was recalled for the first time since last winter’s tour of the Caribbean.
The Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who was man of the series in Sri Lanka in the 2018 tour, is also recalled, though Smith indicated that Buttler, 29, remained the No 1 choice to keep wicket for the Tests in Galle and Colombo.
“At the start of this winter
