England ‘weren’t quite good enough’ says Trevor Bayliss in UAE series defeat to Pakistan

England's head coach Trevor Bayliss has said his team were good enough following their 2-0 series defeat against Pakistan, saying all three matches could have been won had chances been availed.

Trevor Bayliss admitted England will be looking for a new opening batsman to partner Alastair Cook on the tour to South Africa. Gareth Copley / Getty Images

England’s head coach Trevor Bayliss has said his team wasn’t good enough following their 2-0 series defeat against Pakistan, saying all three matches could have been won had chances been availed.

Pakistan thumped England by 127 runs in the third and final Test to take the series and with it rose to No 2 in the rankings, leaving England sliding down to sixth.

Pakistan won the second Test in Dubai by 178 runs while the first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.

Asked about his reaction to the defeat, Bayliss said: “It’s obviously one of disappointment. The players, as well, at the moment are very disappointed — obviously knowing that we had a chance to win probably three matches here.

“We were in all three with a chance of winning, but in the end we weren’t quite good enough.”

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England were deprived of a dramatic win in the first Test when bad light ended play with the tourists needing just 25 runs.

They then dismissed Pakistan for 378 and looked set for a good lead in Dubai before being bowled out for 242.

England also had a 72-run first innings lead in the final Test in Sharjah before allowing Pakistan to set a 284-run target by dropping crucial catches.

Bayliss said there were mixed gains from the series.

“There are some positives to take out of the series, but also some negatives.

“From a batting point of view, obviously the captain’s (Alastair Cook) batting was superb, and so was (Joe) Root’s,” said Bayliss of Cook’s 263 and Root’s 85 in the first Test.

“But I think the younger, inexperienced batters all — probably bar Moeen (Ali), at the top of the order — spent some quality time in the middle, proving they can bat in these conditions for an amount of time.

“If you can do it once, you can do it again — and you can do it for longer.”

Bayliss said there were lessons to be learnt.

“If they’ve got to learn something from this tour, it’s about working out what they did well in those innings and doing it for longer the next time.

“I think once you lose one or two wickets, it’s down to the next guy who comes in to actually say to himself ‘I know we’re trying to chase some runs here, but just for the next half-an-hour or so, what have I actually got to do here to keep us in the game?’”

Bayliss said he has a problem finding a suitable partner for Cook.

“It certainly wasn’t as successful as we’d have liked, or I’m sure Moeen would have liked,” said Bayliss of using Ali as an opener, Cook’s seventh partner in the last three years.

“Hales is the other opener in the squad. I think he’d be desperately unlucky not to go to South Africa. We’ve got a chat in about a week’s time, so I’m sure that will be high on the agenda,” said Bayliss of England’s selection for next month’s tour.

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