LINCOLN, Neb. – Speedway Motors begins a new decade of IMCA support while marking a quar­ter-century as title sponsor of the biggest dirt track racing event in the world.

Recognized last fall for 40 consecutive seasons of sponsorship, the Lincoln, Neb., high perfor­mance parts manufacturer, retailer and distributor continues unique roles backing both IMCA Weekly Racing and Super Nationals.

Speedway Motors will sponsor the upcoming Super Nationals, held September 7-12 at Boone Speedway, for the 25th consecutive year.

For a 13th straight year, Speedway Motors renews a program benefitting 200-plus race tracks in the United States and Canada. Speedway Motors program provides jackets, promoter and tech official shirts as well as dis­counts on tech inspec­tion equipment, flags and signage. The program helps race facilities defray weekly program costs, decals, driver’s suit patches and feature winner hats.

Speedway Motors will mail $100 Gift Certificates during the season to drivers who complete the rookie application process and win career-first features. The postseason slate of awards from Speedway Motors includes helmets for all national champi­ons and the first-ever Junior National Champion.

Top eligible finishers in Modified, Stock Car and Hobby Stock regional standings, and in Northern SportMod and Southern SportMod national standings all re­ceive a pair of TruCoil springs. Drivers in all five of those divisions are required to fill out and return a contingency sign-up form.

Speedway Motors is IMCA’s longest tenured sponsor, with a relationship to the sanctioning body dating back to the 1950’s.

The 2020 season is the third of a five-year marketing agreement between Speedway Mo­tors and IMCA.

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is ready for a duel in the desert, bringing plenty of action to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the 36th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals on Feb. 21-23.

It is the second of 24 races during the NHRA season, providing the opportunity for an early-season victory at one of the traditional stops on the NHRA circuit. Southwest race fans have enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and thrills of NHRA racing for more than three decades, with the early-season fixture set to provide more pulsating 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph action in 2020.

NHRA Prime Time, where drivers perform a burnout to their favorite jams played by an onsite DJ, takes place during the second qualifying session on Friday and will help kick off the weekend in style, while all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will look for some early-season momentum during the NHRA’s annual stop in the Valley of the Sun.

Billy Torrence (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of of the race.

It was a Torrence who won in Top Fuel at Phoenix for a second straight year, only it was Billy, the father of back-to-back world champ Steve Torrence, who ended up in the winner’s circle in 2019. It was the start of a career-best season for the elder Torrence, while Steve, who won the race in 2018 for the first time, ended up with his second straight world title.

The Torrence family is aiming for three straight in Phoenix, but it won’t be easy in a loaded class. Leah Pritchett won two straight races at the track in 2016 and ’17, and others to watch include Antron Brown, a three-time race winner, veteran Doug Kalitta, 2017 world champ Brittany Force, Shawn Langdon, who is returning to the class, Clay Millican, Terry McMillen, Austin Prock and Mike Salinas.

In Funny Car, Hagan has enjoyed a strong run at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in recent years. His victory last year gave him three wins in the past five years in Phoenix, and the two-time world champ will look to grab more early-season momentum.

Trying to stop him will be a slew of talented drivers in the star-studded class, including defending world champ Robert Hight, who won the race in 2012, Hagan’s Don Schumacher Racing teammates Jack Beckman, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Ron Capps, John Force, who has an NHRA-best eight wins at the track, previous race winner Alexis DeJoria, who is returning to the class in 2020, 2018 world champ J.R. Todd, Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca and Cruz Pedregon.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, the Pro Stock class will head to Phoenix with plenty of fanfare. The class continues to provide plenty of thrills, much like Coughlin did last year en route to his third career victory at the track. Coughlin finished second in points last year, trailing only Elite Motorsports teammate and reigning world champ Erica Enders.

The three-time world champ will look for her second win at the facility against the likes of Greg Anderson, Jason Line, who is retiring from driving following the 2020 season, Alex Laughlin, Deric Kramer, Chris McGaha, who won the race in 2018, Bo Butner and Matt Hartford.

The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where future stars of the sport hone their skills. After nitro qualifying, fans can watch a trio of spectacular jet cars, including a pair from the Lucas Oil Muy Caliente team, as well as Scott Arriaga’s “Wicked Sensation” jet car. Known for exciting pre-run flame shows and after burner pops, jet cars are thrust driven vehicles propelled by jet engines.

New for the event will be the Arizona Big Tire Shootout. The shootout will feature an eight car field that consists of one time trial, plus three rounds of eliminations. A chip draw will take place to determine ladder placement. The winner will receive a special acrylic version of the coveted Wally.

NHRA fans can take part in the Mello Yello Walking Tour to see the cars and teams hard at work in the pits. Fans can also attend Pro Stock School and Nitro School to learn how the cars operate and reach their thrilling speeds.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park will also host a Mello Yello autograph session and allow fans to meet their favorite drivers as well as the Sealmaster Track Walk hosted by NHRA announcer Joe Castello. Another can’t-miss experience is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes. NHRA fans are invited to congratulate the winners of the event as they celebrate their victories.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park has moved its popular Camp Wild Horse overnight campground to Maricopa Road just outside of the main gate, behind the starting line. The new campground experience at the track will allow campers and fans easy access to and from the track. The fee for an overnight camping spot will remain at $225, but the experience and value will increase significantly. Camp Wild Horse access will be granted to anyone with an event ticket.

Camp Wild Horse will be hosted each night by 2016 NHRA Funny champion Ron Capps, driver of Don Schumacher Racing’s NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger. Capps will be on stage for question-and-answer sessions and autograph signings.

Fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

SAN DIEGO – At least one top player is “intrigued” by the idea of a potential alternative tour that appears to be gaining momentum.

According to a report this week on GeoffShackelford.com, the Premier Golf League would feature 18 events and 48-player fields playing for $10 million purses. The league’s first season could begin in 2022 or ’23.

“I'm curious, but I don't know enough to talk about it,'' Phil Mickelson told ESPN.com after missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. “I'm listening to it. I think it's intriguing, but I just don't know enough about it to comment publicly. I hope to learn more.”

The new league was a topic at this week’s player meeting at Torrey Pines according to various sources, and it remains to be seen how the PGA Tour and European Tour would react to the potential challenge. Under Tour rules, players would be limited in how many “competing” events they are allowed to play and it seems unlikely they would change those rules to accommodate a new league.

According to a statement from the PGA Tour: “We have not met with [the Premier Golf League], and as a matter of practice, we don’t comment on the business of other tours, real or hypothetical. We’re focused on our business.”

European Tour chief Keith Pelley told the PA News Agency, “I think they've been trying to move forward for eight years, but I can't comment on other tours. I wouldn't comment on the business of the PGA Tour or certainly one that is not real.”

The Premier Golf League released a second statement in as many days Saturday outlining the plan for the tour. According to the statement the tour would be “an individual and team league” with 12 teams of four players vying for a world championship.

Ten of the tour's 18 events will be played in the U.S. and the tournaments will be 54 holes with no cut. According to the statement “if you want the world to watch you have to showcase your best product, week-in-week-out. Golf doesn’t do that currently.”

It remains to be seen if the top players would participate in the league but organizers are confident the financial rewards – $10 million purses as well as a $10 million bonus for the individual champion and a $40 million team purse – would be a compelling incentive.

Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports, whose clients include Tiger Woods, was asked about the league in November and told GeoffShackelford.com, “It seems to resurface at different times” and “like anything else you have to listen to everyone and all options.”

A day after four-putting the first green at Torrey Pines' South Course, Tiger Woods needed only one putt Saturday.

Woods drained a 13-footer for birdie to begin his third round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

He added a 7-foot birdie make at the par-3 third before chipping in to save par at the par-4 fourth.

Woods made his third birdie of the day, making a 14-footer at the par-5 sixth hole.

He then capped a 4-under 32 front nine with a 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 ninth, which got Woods to 8 under and two shots off the lead at the time.

U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter has announced his 22-player roster for next Saturday's friendly against Costa Rica (3:55 p.m. ET on ESPN News).

The match will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The team has spent most of January at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. after its original plans to hold the camp in Doha, Qatar were canceled.

Originally, 26 players were invited. FC Dallas midfielder Paxton Pomykal was forced to withdraw as he continues his rehabilitation from groin surgery he underwent back on Oct. 31. San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski returned to the San Jose Earthquakes while winger Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan rejoined the Seattle Sounders ahead of the club's Concacaf Champions League campaign. The remaining players and staff are flying to the Los Angeles area this afternoon.

"It's been a good few weeks in Florida. The guys have worked hard and have made progress in all aspects of our game model," Berhalter said. "We'd like to thank Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes for their collaboration in releasing their players and wish them success at the start of their campaigns. We now turn our focus to preparing for Costa Rica and encouraging the players to take advantage of the opportunity and finish off the month with a positive result."

USMNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 8/0), Bill Hamid (D.C. United; 6/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 0/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy; 0/0), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 10/0), Chase Gasper (Minnesota United FC; 0/0), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 16/3), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids; 0/0), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 11/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Christian Cappis (Hobro/DEN; 0/0), Bryang Kayo (Unattached; 0/0), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 13/2), Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; 0/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 32/5), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 0/0), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 5/0), Ulysses Llanez (Wolfsburg/GER; 0/0), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 55/12)

Tottenham Hotspur Jose Mourinho said that the ongoing Christian Eriksen transfer drama doesn't lie at the feet of the club nor the player.

The Danish midfielder has been in the middle of a saga that would see him leave London for Inter Milan. He is expected to Italy and have a medical early next week with a fee of around €20 million reportedly agreed.

Following Spurs 1-1 draw at Southampton in FA Cup action on Saturday, Mourinho was irked when asked by the imminent Eriksen deal -- but was careful to not cast blame.

"You can read what you want to read, I don't want to say anything. I just want to say that this situation shouldn't happen on the 25th of January," Mourinho said. "And it is not Tottenham's fault that on the 25 of January we are in the situation."

The Portuguese manager later lauded Eriksen -- who was not part of the squad on Saturday -- for the way the player has handled the situation, although Mourinho has critcised him for recent underwhelming performances.

"The only thing I can say is Eriksen, since I arrive, he is behaving in a very, very professional way, with me and the team," Mourinho said. "Tottenham is the last one to blame for this situation, but to be on the 25th of January in a situation like this is not nice."

Eriksen has been a playmaker for Spurs since joining from Ajax in 2013. He helped the club reach the Champions League final last season under Mourinho's predecessor Mauricio Pochettino.

Saturday's draw at St. Mary's saw Spurs loanee Giovani Lo Celso make a strong impression on Mourinho, who remained coy on whether the Argentine will make the permanent transfer from Real Betis.

"It's not an obligation, it's an option," Mourinho said about Lo Celso. "I think the boy is earning the decision. He's making an easy decision for the club to execute the option. Incredible evolution since I arrived."

On out-of-favour defender Danny Rose's future with the club, Mourinho would say he didn't know and that it is not his decision.

Quique Setien has said Barcelona's players still don't totally understand how he wants them to play after Valencia inflicted his first defeat as the club's coach since replacing Ernesto Valverde earlier this month.

A Jordi Alba own goal and a Maxi Gomez effort sealed a deserved 2-0 win for Valencia at Mestalla as they ended a 14-game run stretching back to 2008 without a home win against Barca.

The loss could see Barca, who beat Granada and Ibiza in Setien's first two games in charge, replaced by Real Madrid at the top of the table on Sunday, when Zinedine Zidane's side travel to Real Valladolid.

-- Inside Story: How Barca fired Valverde, hired Setien
-- Hunter: Barca's treatment of Valverde 'indefensible'
-- Laurens: Valverde never the right boss for Barca

"We were not good at all, especially in the first half," Setien said in his news conference. "We weren't able to find a way through to goal. There were things we didn't understand properly and Valencia took advantage of our mistakes.

"The [players] still aren't interpreting what we want to do -- or maybe we're not explaining it well. Positionally there are things to correct and improve. No one likes what we have seen today."

Barca had over 70 percent of the possession at Mestalla but struggled to create anything in the first half. Valencia, meanwhile, won a penalty with their first attack in the 10th minute.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Gomez's spot-kick and the German made a number of other stops to ensure the game remained goalless at halftime, while Barca's passing failed to yield to a significant opening in the first 45 minutes.

"We made so many passes for no reason, with no variety," Setien added. "That's not what we want. We were not good in the first half. The best thing was getting to half time at 0-0.

"We improved a little bit in the second half and we could have got back in the game, but that's not good enough for us."

Alba's own goal opened the scoring in the 48th minute and Uruguayan international Gomez sealed the points in the 77th. In the middle, Lionel Messi came close a couple of times, and Setien said he was happy with the way his players fought.

"It's not an attitude problem," he said. "The players looked committed. We just weren't well-positioned, we haven't understood certain things. We struggled. We will analyse the game and look for solutions."

Barca now have back-to-back home games in the next seven days, starting with Leganes in the Copa del Rey and followed by Levante in La Liga.

Chelsea survived a late scare in the FA Cup to overcome Hull City 2-1 at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday.

Frank Lampard's side advanced to the last 16 of the competition after goals from Michy Batshuayi and Fikayo Tomori.

- Stream live matches and replays on ESPN+

Kamil Grosicki scored late on for Hull and although they pushed hard for the equaliser, Chelsea held on.

"It is not easy coming here. We had a lot of shots again. It is a frustrating period again for us again," Lampard said. "We have to remain very secure if we are going to only score once or twice."

Hull started the game brightly but it was Chelsea who took the lead in the opening six minutes when Batshuayi's deflected close range effort found the net.

"I am pleased with Michy and for him to score his goal. I want him firing and he has to stay at that level," Lampard added.

Chelsea were close to scoring more goals but Hull goalkeeper George Long twice denied Mason Mount and saved from Marcos Alonso just before the break.

The visitors doubled their lead just after the hour mark when Tomori headed in from Ross Barkley's free kick.

With 13 minutes remaining, Hull got themselves back in the game when Grosicki's free kick deflected off Mateo Kovacic and found the net, but they failed to grab an equaliser.

VALENCIA, Spain -- Following narrow wins against Granada and Ibiza, Quique Setien failed his first major examination as Barcelona manager when the Blaugrana crumbled 2-0 against Valencia, their first defeat at Mestalla since 2008.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved a first-half penalty from Maxi Gomez and Barca made it to half-time with the game goalless, but Jordi Alba put through his own goal three minutes after the break and, after Setien's men were unable to make their chances count, Gomez added the second in the 77th minute to seal Valencia's win.

For Barca, a sterile possession approach quickly changed to a "give it to Lionel Messi" stance after they fell behind. Their talisman ended the game with 11 shots, the most he has ever had in a Liga game without scoring.

The warning signs for Barcelona had been there against Ibiza in midweek, when the third division side scored with their first attack and could have been 3-0 in front by half-time. A late Antoine Griezmann brace spared humiliation, but Setien admitted he had been given a "fright."

Against Valencia, with no rescue job by his star men, he got a pasting. Setien suggested ahead of the game that "every day is a test" at Barcelona and this was his sternest yet.

The hosts won a penalty with their first attack and openings kept coming. After failing from the spot, Gomez hit the bar and Kevin Gameiro missed from the rebound; all the while, Ferran Torres was enjoying the freedom of the right flank.

Setien's discourse since taking over has focused on the need to have possession to maintain control. While Barcelona have the ball, he reasons, the opposition cannot score. When they lose it, they must win it back quickly, otherwise the defence is exposed. Such was the case against Ibiza and Valencia.

"The players still aren't interpreting well what we want to do," Setien bemoaned after the loss. "Or maybe we're not explaining it well. No one likes what we've seen today. Positionally, there are things to correct and improve."

Messi can offset many a flaw, and he fizzed one effort just wide from 18 yards, then saw Gabriel Paulista emerge from nowhere to block what looked like a certain goal. Barca chances were few and far between, though, and Jaume Domenech had to make few saves you would not have expected him to stop.

This reality check brings into question whether renovations can be carried out in midseason, with Barca still competing for three trophies. Ernesto Valverde was sacked, in part, for being too pragmatic, but some might argue that was down to necessity; for example, is this Barcelona squad, packed with players over 30, capable of pressing high for 90 minutes?

Time will provide the answers, and if there is one thing to which Setien is committed, it is his philosophy; the one he links to the legendary Johan Cruyff and the one that almost exclusively landed him the job 12 days ago. He will not change.

"We have to adapt to the new coach, take on his ideas," Sergio Busquets said.

Barcelona have looked comfortable in possession under their new boss, but must speed up their ball circulation to create opportunities against better sides. It is true that Setien has not been helped by injuries: Luis Suarez is out for four months, while Ousmane Dembele is two weeks away from a return.

Real Madrid will top La Liga if they do not lose to Valladolid on Sunday, but winnable home games against Leganes and Levante lie ahead for Barcelona, as does time on the training ground to work on Setien's concepts.

They may have failed at Mestalla, but the 61-year-old is adamant about a style that, he believes, gives his teams the best chance of winning games. One flunked test will not see him change his ways, but many more days like this and he might not last beyond the summer.

Like the Betamax recorder you bought when it came out, those Marconi shares you thought would provide for your old age, and that Sinclair C5 that seemed the perfect low-cost run-around, sometimes you have to accept that investments don't work out.

Might we be in this territory now with Jos Buttler? He is 29 now, after all, and playing his 41st Test. You might expect him to be somewhere near his best. Instead his performances are tailing away. Since the start of the Ashes - that's 10 Tests ago - he is averaging 22.05. He has made one half-century in 18 innings and has not reached 30 in seven innings.

All players go through tough runs, of course. The art of selection is to keep the faith with them until they come out the other side. There have certainly been moments in Buttler's career - not least on debut in Southampton, or in Kandy at the end of 2018 - when he looked a very promising player.

But promises need to be kept and investments need to make a return. And the Buttler who was selected to be positive and carefree and aggressive is starting to look ever more careworn, uncertain and weary. He looks, like Moeen Ali before he took a break after the first Test in the Ashes, as if he's struggling to remember what he used to enjoy about the game. He looks, admittedly from something of a distance, as if he's fallen out of love with it a bit.

Whatever happens in his Test future, Buttler is a special player for England. He has scored five of the quickest 11 ODI centuries ever made for them - including the fastest two - as well as their second-fastest T20I half-century. He has already played a huge role in winning the 2019 World Cup and, if England are to challenge in the T20 World Cup later this year, he will surely have to contribute again.

But you wonder if the struggle is starting to wear him down. The disappointment, the tension, the travel - he has a young family now - can all rob the game of the freshness and wonder it once had. You wonder if the attempt to turn Buttler into a Test cricketer - the sprinter trying to run marathons - might have robbed him of just a little of his lustre.

Part of the problem with Buttler is that he doesn't have much of a track-record of scoring runs in first-class cricket. He averages just 32.35 in a first-class career that stretches back to 2009 and, in 106 first-class games, has scored a modest six first-class centuries. Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid, by comparison, have scored 10. They both average more, too. Jonny Bairstow (43.51 at first-class level) averages over 10 more. In many ways, expecting Buttler to move up a level and suddenly discover a way to score runs was naive and unreasonable.

Increasingly the white-ball and red-ball games are different animals. In England, at least, the white-ball games are played on pitches so flat that batsmen have little concern for the seaming or swinging ball, while the red-ball game demands a strong defence and a tight technique.

Buttler has never really developed those skills. Instead, there was talk of relaxing and trusting his undoubted natural talent. There was the memorable slogan written on top of his bat handle and an acceptance that he should come in at No. 7 - which is unusual for a specialist batsman - with a view to punishing tired bowlers and an older ball. Time that might have been spent learning to play the moving ball was spent - quite understandably - learning to master the T20 game in the IPL and elsewhere. England prioritisation of white-ball cricket meant sacrifices had to be made.

And it's competence that breeds confidence. For if you don't have a decent technique and gameplan in first-class cricket, you will eventually be found out. Batting at No. 7 is fine, but attacks take second new balls and bowlers, at this level, often have remarkable fitness levels. Put simply: it just hasn't worked out.

Some will argue that Buttler has been asked to fulfil roles that don't suit him at Test level. And it is true that, in the early stages of his recall in 2018, it looked as if he had cracked it. He averaged 52.5 in the first nine innings - seven of them as a specialist No. 7 - before he was promoted up the order a little to accommodate the inclusion of Ben Foakes - Jonny Bairstow was injured - and then Bairstow. He averages just 26.82 at No. 5, compared to 39.69 at No. 6 and 31.77 at No. 7. He was also asked to take back the gloves.

You could equally argue that he has had every advantage extended to him. When Ollie Pope, for example, came into the team, he was obliged to bat at No. 4 - a position he had never previously occupied - to accommodate Buttler, who was a specialist batsman batting, at times anyway, below the keeper, Jonny Bairstow and the main all-rounder, Ben Stokes.

Bairstow was moved to accommodate him, too. Ahead of Buttler's return, in May 2018, Bairstow had scored two centuries in his previous five Tests - one at No. 6 and one at No. 7 - before the return of Buttler destabilised him. He has been asked to bat at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 since and averaged just 23.66.

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In truth, all players have to be a little bit flexible for the good of the team. So while there is no doubting Buttler's willingness to attempt whatever has been required of him, there have to be doubts about his ability to perform enough roles to make him anything more than a luxury player at Test level. And while he was recalled as a counterattacking No. 7, in this game he has scored slower than any of his team-mates who have faced more than 10 balls. His struggles to bat with the tail were shown-up by Ollie Pope, who did so masterfully in Cape Town, and his dismissal here - charging down the pitch and slogging in the air - was unworthy of one of England's finest natural ball strikers. And if the aggressive strokes are gone and the defence isn't there, well, what's left?

There are other options. With a tour of Sri Lanka looming, thoughts will surely turn back to Foakes. He was player of the series the last time England toured there and is probably the best keeper available. That will be an important factor with spin expected to play a major part.

It is true that Foakes endured a relatively modest County Championship season with the bat (he averaged 26.14) for Surrey. And it is true that, by doing so, he failed to make the most eloquent case for a recall. But might disappointment have been a factor? He started the summer by winning the player-of-the-match award on his ODI debut - in Dublin - only to be dropped before he had the chance to play another game. He has also never played another full series after that Sri Lanka tour. In 36 fewer Tests than Buttler, he has the same number of Test centuries and a batting average of 41.50. He could be forgiven if he felt somewhat hard done by.

Bairstow will be considered, too. But many of the arguments levelled against Buttler could be levelled against him too, and it is not as if he has scored a mountain of runs since he was dropped. He is looking better in training, however, and England may point to the example of Dom Bess for the improvement a player can make without actually appearing in a game. It may also be relevant that Bairstow made a century from No. 3 in the Colombo Test little more than a year ago. With Joe Denly failing to secure the role, it is that position that Bairstow must be eying.

This is not the end of the road for Buttler as an international cricketer. Far from it. Freed from the demands of the longest format, he could concentrate on his limited-overs career. He is already one of the best - if not the best - white-ball cricketers England has ever had. With more chance to remain fresh, there is no reason he cannot sustain such form for several more years.

We are in another World Cup cycle now, too. If Eoin Morgan decides he is unlikely to last another four years - and he is 33 now, so it could be a stretch - it may make sense to appoint Buttler as ODI captain in the near future. That way, he would have time to grow into the role and a new England team would have time to evolve around him.

Jos Buttler can still be a great England cricketer. Just not a great England Test cricketer. That's not so bad, is it?