When Ben Stokes-led England approached Test cricket with Bazball approach, Jonny Bairstow proved that it could work. Bairstow would destroy bowling lineups as they wondered how to stop the flow of runs. But the Yorkshire-born wicketkeeper-batter did not find his name in the squad announced for first two Tests against West Indies. 23-year-old Jamie Smith replaced him in the squad. A day later, England men’s team managing director Rob Key said that the reason behind dropping Bairstow was his struggle for form across all formats.
"Generally his form, in all formats, has just been going slightly in the wrong direction. It's an arduous task being a keeper and you want someone who can back up series after series. We weren't convinced that Jonny would be able to do that, especially at the stage of his career that he's at," Key said as quoted by the BBC.
Bairstow’s replacement’s record
He also backed a young Jamie Smith to prove his mettle on the international stage. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 3,264 runs from 58 First-Class games at an average of 40.80 including nine centuries and 13 fifties. In his last outing for Surrey against Worcestershire, he scored 86 runs.
"Sometimes you're selecting people for what they're going to be as well, and where you think they can progress to. It's very much the start for Jamie Smith. We feel he's going to be a fantastic international cricketer," Key explained.
Bairstow ineffective in T20 World Cup 2024
In the recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2024, Bairstow struggled for form. He scored 110 runs from six innings. His best of unbeaten 48 came against co-hosts West Indies. However, he failed to make a mark against India and got bowled for a three-ball duck by Axar Patel contributing to the collapse in the powerplay overs of unsuccessful run chase at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Bairstow’s lacklustre run in India
Key is not wrong about Bairstow’s Test form either. He hasn't scored a half-century in whites since July 27, 2023, his last game before an injury ruled him out of action for months. In his last 10 innings in Test cricket this year, he has failed to cross the 40-run mark. His form was one of the major factors why Stokes' England lost the five-Test series on Indian soil.
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