Dawson will be in the discussions for WC squad, admits Bayliss

The pressure on Joe Denly has been ramped up ahead of England's five-match series against Pakistan with head coach Trevor Bayliss confirming that Hampshire's Liam Dawson will also be considered for the final World Cup squad.

Denly occupies the role of third-spinner and back up middle order batsman in England's provisional squad, a role that Dawson can also play. While Denly's batting is arguably more explosive and he can bat at the top of the order as well as in the middle, his leg-spin is less reliable, if perhaps more attacking, than Dawson's left-arm orthodox.

Should England lose Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid to injury during the World Cup, it would be a big ask for Denly, who has only been bowling regularly for three or four seasons, to play as a second frontline spinner. Dawson, by contrast, is a far more experienced bowler and has 327 more professional wickets than the Kent vice-captain.

Dawson would certainly be the safer bet and he has been in excellent form for his county, too. He has taken 17 wickets at 18.64 with the ball and is averaging nearly 50 with the bat in the Royal London One-Day Cup matches this season and he has also had experience of international cricket in the past.

While possession may be nine-tenths of the law, Denly's position is not yet secure and his World Cup chances probably hinge on some solid showings with the ball against Pakistan. If he bowls poorly, Dawson could sneak up on the inside. The individual stakes rarely get much higher.

"It's an interesting position, that one," said Bayliss. "At the moment, it's a position that, because of the all-rounders we have in the team, we can have someone in the team like that that covers a few different positions. Someone like Dawson will certainly be in discussions. He's done well this year and he's done well for us in the past when he's been given an opportunity at this level. I'm sure he'll be discussed."

Bayliss said the final 15-man World Cup squad would almost certainly be drawn from the 17 players selected for the Pakistan series plus Dawson and although Denly will get an opportunity in the first game at The Oval because of a rib injury to Moeen, Bayliss suggested there could be a call-up for Dawson later on in the series as England look to give everyone in contention for a World Cup spot game time against Pakistan.he has a bit of extra pace and he's fitted into the team in a short space of time very well

Ahead of the tournament, the only other area where selection is not yet finalised is in the fast-bowling department with Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan included for this series alongside the other fast-bowlers named in the provisional World Cup squad. While Jordan is unlikely to make the final 15-man party, Archer has a strong chance but will need to impress against Pakistan in order to force his way in.

"He is very skilful, he has a bit of extra pace and he's fitted into the team in a short space of time very well," said Bayliss. "A fairly quiet sort of guy, which is always good first time into the team. Yes, he's certainly in the mix. If a fast bowler misses out, whoever it is, is going to be bitterly disappointed, that's for sure. And it will be a difficult decision to make but that's a position from a selector's point of view that you really want to be in."

England do have their injury concerns too, with Jason Roy and Moeen sitting out the match at The Oval. Roy is still recovering from a back spasm suffered playing for Surrey while Moeen got hit in the ribs in the IPL and will miss the game as a precaution. Both could have played if push came to shove but England are wary of rushing players back too soon. Mark Wood will also not be involved in the opening couple of games as he works his way up to full speed after a lack of overs so far this season.

"It's just the game," Bayliss said. "We can keep them in cotton wool but then they don't play to improve or be in form. If you get injured, well, someone else has just got to take up the slack. But it does give us the chance to give the guys a bit of a rest during this series and give some of the other guys some game time.

"If it was an important game and we really needed them to play, they would be playing. There's no real need, we're playing a little bit safe but it also gives us the chance to play some of the bench strength. That's what we want to do in this series, give everyone an opportunity."

One player who won't be getting an opportunity is Alex Hales following his de-selection for the summer after failing a second recreational drugs test. Bayliss, who said he agreed with the decision, believes dropping Hales sends a clear message to the England team as well as all county players that poor behaviour will not be tolerated, particularly after the incident involving Hales and Ben Stokes in Bristol in September 2017.

"There were some mistakes made 18 months ago but since then they [the players] have all worked extremely hard to work on the culture and unity," Bayliss said. "Unfortunately Alex made some wrong choices and the end result is that he's been deselected. He's been an important part of this team and there's no reason why he can't make it back into this team. It's certainly been relayed to him that his career is not over but that will be up to him.

"It's not just a message to the players in this team, it's a message to the rest of the players in England, throughout county cricket. Those sort of decisions will not be tolerated. It's got to start somewhere, it's got to start at the top. Hopefully county cricketers learn from it as well, that there's not going to be any future for you if you go down that track."