NEWS
Follow UsEngland’s chief selector Luke Wright said Jonny Bairstow's international white-ball career is not over despite the 34-year-old's omission from the upcoming series against Australia. Wright, however, has made it clear that the veteran batter will now have to "fight his way back" into the England set-up.
Bairstow hasn’t been in great form since 2023. The right-hander has only managed 234 in his last 12 ODIs at an average of 19.5. Even in this year’s T20 World Cup, Bairstow could only score 110 runs in eight games at an average of 27.5.
"One of Jonny's great strengths is how much he wants to play He's hugely disappointed. We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world,” said Wright on August 27 (Tuesday).
“He had that horrific injury, and that's been the message. Can we get you back to where you were pre-injury? He understands that. He doesn't like it. One thing Jonny will do is fight back, and I hope he does and gets himself back in the team."
Besides Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan have also been left out of both squads. The first of the three T20Is against Australia starts on September 11 (Wednesday), with the five-match ODI series beginning on September 19 (Thursday).
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Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley, Josh Hull and Josh Turner have been named in the 15-man squad for the T20I series. Bethell has been rewarded with a call-up for his performances at The Hundred, where he scored 176 runs representing Birmingham Phoenix. Mousley, too, was in the same setup and shot to the limelight when he bowled a brilliant ten-ball set to seal a game for the Phoenix in this edition.
But the biggest news from the squad announcement is Brydon Carse, who returns to the England setup for the first time after completing his three-month suspension. In the ODIs, Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Matthew Potts, and Jamie Smith have been included with an eye on the upcoming Champions Trophy.
"I certainly won't be saying that's the end of them. Chris Jordan was left out last winter and then still ended up going to the World Cup. They're all fine cricketers. But right now, we just want to give some others opportunities,” said Wright.
"We haven't needed to [make risky picks] with the white-ball team. They've been one of the outstanding teams. We're very lucky to have had that team for such a long time. Now feels like the right time to have a few more picks in there and look probably for the future as well. It's an exciting time for everyone to watch and see how that builds going forward."
England will also be without Ben Stokes and Joe Root for the ODI series. While the former is still recovering from a hamstring injury, Root has been rested.
"He's given a lot to English cricket. There's no reason why he can't then come into the major tournaments... we know how important Joe is to the England team. He also offers us (something) with the ball as well, and there's not many that do that. With someone like Joe, we've got to look after him, we don't want him to burn out."
"We'll want to be as strong as possible (at the Champions Trophy). There's no Test cricket around at that point, so it gives us an opportunity to play our strongest team. The schedule over this next period up until Christmas is crazy, so there will be opportunities for guys to stake their claim. But come the Champions Trophy, we will be able to pick our strongest side."
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