Jonny Bairstow: The England team is currently playing a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. Following this, they will face Australia in a series of three T20 matches and five ODIs in September. The squad for these matches has been announced, and some surprising decisions have been made, especially in light of the disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup 2024. Star match-winner Jonny Bairstow has not been included in the squad, raising questions about his white-ball international career. In response, England’s chief selector Luke Wright has clarified after the team announcement that Bairstow’s career is not over, despite not being selected for the limited-overs series against Australia.
Need to Prove Himself Again for a Team Comeback
Since 2023, Jonny Bairstow has scored only 234 runs at an average of 19.5 in 12 ODI matches. In the T20 World Cup 2024 held in June, he scored a total of 110 runs at an average of 27.5. In his statement about Bairstow, Luke Wright said, “Jonny’s greatest strength is that he wants to play, and we want him to be one of the best players in world cricket. He made a remarkable comeback after a serious injury and showed everyone that he can fight back, and I hope he will be successful in making a return to the team.”
Team Changes Made with Future in Mind
In the squad announced for the T20 and ODI series against Australia, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Chris Jordan are all absent. Regarding this, Luke Wright mentioned, “Both Jordan and Moeen are excellent players. Jordan was not part of the team for the T20 World Cup but was selected this time. This time, we made changes with an eye on the future to give opportunities to new players.” England will begin the three-match T20 series against Australia on September 11 and then play a five-match ODI series starting September 19.