IPL 2023: Yorkshire born English middle-order batter and Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Jonny Bairstow has his eyes set on the wicketkeeper-batter role for his return at Yorkshire to improve his chances of playing in this summer’s Ashes 2023 series, which will begin from June 16. Bairstow had played a crucial role in rebuilding of England’s Test squad under new leadership of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, has watched his England side create history in both red-ball and white-ball formats from the sidelines.
A freak accident which saw him slipping on a golf course left him with a fibula broken in three places, a dislocation in his ankle and tendon damage. In Test cricket, young England batter Harry Brook claimed his middle-order spot in a terrific fashion, scoring 809 runs, four centuries and three fifties in just ten innings at an average of over 80. Ben Foakes has also shown that he can be trusted as a wicketkeeper in the longer format.
Bairstow has his eyes on one thing 👀 pic.twitter.com/HOfuZinZoQ
— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) March 22, 2023
That Bairstow will regain full fitness in time for Ashes cannot be taken for granted. Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson suggested that the medical opinion was that the batter could get fitness good enough to play some cricket “by middle to May-end”. The England Test summer starts from June 1 with a match against Ireland.
Bairstow, who has kept wickets in 49 out of his 89 Tests, last time against India at the Oval in September 2021, has told Yorkshire that he wants to keep wickets.
Darren Gough on Bairstow’s for Ashes after missing IPL 2023 for Punjab Kings
Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo: “I think Jonny realises there is competition for places. He had his best year ever for England but you know what it is like, someone comes into the side and it is hard to get back. He probably wants to give himself as many opportunities as he can. He is a top player, he is in a good place mentally with his game. he is worked out where he wants to be and where he wants to go.”
“I think Jonny has said he would like to keep. He obviously sees a place in the England side – he has seen everyone do well and he wants to keep. He has not fit yet; he is working hard and going well. It is a case of him getting fit, which is not easy coming back from that injury. It was horrific. he is got to come back from that injury and show he’s 100 per cent fit, you cannot play someone who is not. The ECB would not clear him if he is not. Whether he plays for in one game, two games or none of the games before England we’ll see where that goes,” added Gough.
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