Star England hard-hitter Jonny Bairstow almost opened the batting for England alongside Jos Buttler, after a discussion with the Three Lions skipper and their head coach Matthew Mott. But the very next day, Bairstow suffered a freak injury while playing golf, on the day that England's squad T20 World Cup was announced.
Eventually, Alex Hales was drafted into the team, and the opener was a key player for England as they went on to secure their second T20 World Cup title after beating Pakistan in the final.
"It has been tricky, obviously the night before I did my ankle, I spoke to Matthew Mott and Jos (Buttler) and they spoke about me opening the batting in the T20 side and that's what I've been wanting to do for a little period of time, so I was absolutely delighted.
"And then it's amazing how quickly things can turn on their head, within 12 hours I was laying on a hospital bed, my leg in a cast and my ankle being put back in place," Bairstow said at the Marylebone Cricket Club 'spirit of cricket' panel on Wednesday, according to 'Yorkshire Post'.
Bairstow broke his leg and dislocated his ankle when he slipped on a golf course in September 2022 and missed the T20 World Cup in Australia and the subsequent away Test tour of Pakistan. The 33-year-old broke his fibula in three places and the injury needed complicated surgical intervention.
With the Ashes scheduled at home in June-July this year, a fully-fit Bairstow should be an automatic choice in the squad as the firepower he lends to England's batting is unmatched. He was in the form of his life last year, averaging 75.66 with four Test centuries before he was struck down by the injury.
"It (the leg) is improving, we're on the right track, we're about four-and-a-half months post it (the injury) happening now... The injury is a bit more complicated than just breaking your leg, but that's just one of the things that you deal with. Everyone has been dealt a card, and everyone has challenges put in front of them, but it's just another thing you can overcome." He added that while the long layoff has not quite affected his morale, staying at home, at times, became boring.
"It's been a lot different (post the injury), taking the injury away from it, not being ... on planes and flying everywhere and being around a group of lads, being at home has been a lot different. It's been quite good at times, it's been quite boring at times," Bairstow added.