Dom Bess has spoken to Joe Root about England winter tours
- Published
Dom Bess (left) has played all but one of his 14 Tests under the captaincy of Joe Root (right)
Spinner Dom Bess says he has spoken to England Test captain Joe Root about how he was managed during the winter, but sees "only massive positives" from the tours of Sri Lanka and India.
Moeen Ali was preferred to Bess for the second Test in India, despite being set to be rested for the last two matches.
Bess struggled when recalled for the final Test, returning 0-71 in 17 overs.
"I certainly got across how I felt and how, at times, I felt I was managed," said Bess.
England's handling of Bess was criticised during the India series, with former captain Michael Vaughan saying: "I don't think I've ever been as disappointed with the management of a player."
Yorkshire off-spinner Bess, 23, has also had talks with England coach Chris Silverwood and performance director Mo Bobat.
Bess took 17 wickets as England won both Tests in Sri Lanka and the series opener in India.
However, after an indifferent display in the second innings of the first Test - he conceded more than six runs an over - Bess was replaced for the next match.
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Moeen was also asked to stay in India for the final two Tests by the England management, but returned home for a pre-planned period of rest.
"In that first Test and first innings in India, I felt really good. Then it just didn't click for me," said Bess, who has taken 36 wickets at an average of 33.97 in his 14-Test career.
"Rooty and Spoons [Silverwood] have both said how tough it was to drop me out of that second Test, but I was really disappointed."
Bess was overlooked for the third Test, then recalled for the fourth as England lost by an innings to go down to a 3-1 series defeat.
Vaughan said during the final Test: "What they are expecting from a kid to suddenly then put him under this amount of spotlight, after being dropped. It is just completely wrong."
Bess said: "I look back at that fourth Test as a great experience - a really tough learning curve.
"I can only see massive positives from the winter. I perhaps didn't impact games the way I would want to at times, but I did impact upon games for England."
With Bess moving from Somerset to Yorkshire during the winter, he is now county team-mates with Root.
Both men played for Yorkshire in their opening game of the County Championship season, a draw against Glamorgan at Headingley.
"I've spoken to Joe and I understand where I stand with it all. I certainly feel backed from these guys, who gave me good feedback in terms of what I need to do," said Bess.
"I know Rooty, Spoons and the whole team back me in terms of the longer process. I have to buy into that."
Bess was England's first-choice spinner during the home summer in 2020, but now appears to be behind slow left-armer Jack Leach, who played all four Tests in india.
England play seven Tests this summer, beginning with two against New Zealand in June.
A five-Test series against India starts in August, with England then looking to regain the Ashes in Australia in December and January.
"Of course I want to be involved in the English summer," said Bess.
"The New Zealand Test series is in the back of my head, but I'm very realistic.
"For me it's a long-term thing. If I'm not in and around the team I can think of the longer picture."
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