Bayliss has been in the job only since the start of the Ashes and, asked about the quality available in county cricket, he used the example of struggling opener Adam Lyth (right) to illustrate the difference in standard between first-class and international levels.
Lyth failed to make even a single half-century in the Ashes series and is virtually certain to be dropped.
Bayliss confirmed Moeen Ali could be promoted to open in order to find room for a second spinner, probably Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid, in the XI.
“Adam hasn’t scored as many runs as he would like,” Bayliss said. “He has come up against two very good bowling attacks from New Zealand and Australia this summer and it’s a sign to the rest of county cricket that it’s a big step up from one level to the next.
“We all wish him well going forward. I’m sure he’ll play again at some stage. There is a selection meeting in a couple of weeks and I’m sure that position will be looked at, along with a few others.
“I’m not exactly sure of the depth that is there. We’ve got a lot of pace bowling depth, but as for spin bowling and the next batters, there is an opportunity for players in county cricket to stand up.
“Those batsmen who score hundred after hundred, and spin bowlers who take a lot of wickets, there are opportunities there. That’s the message.
“Could Moeen open in the UAE? Possibly, yes. It won’t come as a surprise that in the UAE, the possibility to play two spinners will be at the forefront of everyone’s thinking. We’d have to change the team to get a second spinner in. Moeen is probably the type of guy who could bat in a few positions in that top six or seven. I’m sure that will definitely be a discussion point. We’ve had Rashid in this squad and we have to work out how to fit him in and what the balance of the team will be.”
Bayliss added that certain players — likely to include Joe Root and Ben Stokes — would be rested for at least some of the limited-overs matches. England take on Australia in a Twenty20 international in Cardiff next Monday before facing the world champions in five ODIs.
When Test cricket returns, Bayliss hopes he and the selectors will not have to find a new No3. Ian Bell said yesterday that he would “take stock” before deciding on his future, but both Bayliss and captain Alastair Cook believe this was an emotional response.
Bayliss added: “Do I expect him to carry on? Yes, definitely. He certainly hasn’t said anything to me. You’ve got to understand that his has been a long summer on the back of some other tours. The emotional rollercoaster is hard for the players and at the back end of a series they can feel a bit down.”
