- Jonny Bairstow is back in form ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup
- The 34-year-old will be included in the defending champions’ 15-man squad.
Jonny Bairstow’s return to form, on the eve of England naming their squad to defend the Twenty20 World Cup, could not have come at a better time.
Bairstow will feature alongside fast bowler Jofra Archer on Monday in the 15-man squad chosen to travel to the Caribbean next month, following an impressive 108 off 48 balls for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
That stunning blitz against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens – nine sixes on his return to the team after being dropped a fortnight ago – emphasized Bairstow’s enduring ability to play match-defining innings.
However, had Ben Stokes withdrawn his availability, the Yorkshire man’s place would have come under scrutiny. Even though Bairstow was man of the series in his last T20 series, the win over New Zealand last September, he is no longer the first-choice opener in the national team.
While Bairstow was rested for the winter Test series in India, Phil Salt established himself as a partner for Jos Buttler by becoming the first player to score two T20 hundreds for England, in consecutive games on a tour of the West Indies that was a dress . Rehearsal for the World Cup in June. It means Bairstow will now probably occupy the three or four spot.
Jonny Bairstow’s sensational return to form has likely earned him an England withdrawal
The 34-year-old produced a record-breaking performance for the Punjab Kings earlier this week.
England have become well accustomed to the conditions they will face in their 3-2 defeat to the Windies, especially how raw their batting must be in that part of the world. Caribbean pitches tend to make pitches stop rather than jump, and on pitches small enough for errors to go all the way, six-hitters decide games.
In each of the five contests, the team that hit the most sixes won the match and the West Indies topped the overall score 64-56. With Will Jacks, who yesterday hit a brutal 100 not out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, going from 50 to his ton in just 10 brilliant balls, Bairstow, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone were able to clear the boundary, England are well equipped in that regard. . But the lack of left-handers in the top six has caused a headache for the selectors.
Ben Duckett traveled to the Caribbean in December for his ability to play spin and rotate the strike, but he was sacrificed to maximize the squad of big hitters, and England may have to promote Moeen Ali or Sam Curran, their white-ball vice-captains. cricket, if they wish to maintain left-right combinations.
Among bowlers, Archer’s availability is key to England’s chances of becoming the first country to win three Twenty20 titles. On the Caribbean courts, it is not so much the extreme pace that Archer, the star of the 2019 World Cup, possesses, that makes him such a valuable asset, but the ability to downshift to deceive opponents with deliveries that do not reach as fast as them. anticipate.
Surrey’s Jamie Overton was one of the players under consideration to replace Stokes, as a top-six batsman who could offer additional stitching in what is expected to be a spin-dominated tournament, but England are unlikely to take that risk. as scans have shown irritation in the Surrey player’s post-stress fracture in his back.
Meanwhile, 2019 hero Jofra Archer looks set to join him in the England 15-man squad.
Meanwhile, Tom Hartley and fellow left-arm spinner Liam Dawson offer potential new-ball options as second specialists behind the established Adil Rashid.
Probable team: J Buttler (captain, week), P Salt, W Jacks, J Bairstow, H Brook, L Livingstone, S Curran, M Ali, C Woakes, A Rashid, T Hartley, M Wood, R Topley, J Archer, G Atkinson.