England have kept faith with Jonny Bairstow as the wicketkeeper retained his place in an unchanged 14-man squad for next week’s fourth Test against Australia.
Bairstow has endured a difficult series behind the stumps, missing eight chances in the first three Tests.
There have been calls for Surrey’s Ben Foakes to replace Bairstow as wicketkeeper, but captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum remain supportive of the Yorkshire player.
After winning the third Test in Leeds by three wickets on Sunday to keep their Ashes hopes alive, England have named the same group for next Wednesday’s clash in Manchester.
The hosts are 2-1 down with two Tests to play as they look to win the Ashes for the first time since 2015.
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Foakes has been hailed as the best wicketkeeper in the world by Stokes, but the 30-year-old missed out at the start of the season when Bairstow returned following a broken leg suffered in a freak accident while playing golf.
Bairstow’s movement has not looked sharp since his recovery from three separate fractures in his left leg, ligament damage and a dislocated ankle.
He was England’s Test player of the year in 2022, setting the tone for the ‘Bazball’ era with four exhilarating hundreds.
But Bairstow has only impressed once with the bat in this Ashes series, making 78 on the first day of the series.
BRUTAL TRUTH FOR ‘UNFIT’ BAIRSTOW
England is back in the Ashes fight but prior to his selection, questions remained over the viability of playing Bairstow, who has been well below his best with both bat and the gloves.
Calls for the return of specialist gloveman Foakes to the England XI grew after a sloppy wicketkeeping performance from Bairstow this series, particularly at Headingley.
Furthermore, Bairstow hasn’t been able to offset his poor glovework with the bat, averaging just 23.50 with a strike rate of 64.09.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott wrote in The Telegraph that it’s time for him to step aside due to fitness concerns.
“My experience of playing at the highest level for so long and my common sense tells me that Jonny Bairstow is not fit,” Boycott wrote of Bairstow, who broke his leg in two places last year.
“He isn’t moving 100 per cent right and is short of competitive batting and wicketkeeping. He has been selected on last summer’s marvellous match-winning batting, but at this moment in time is a shadow of his best.”
Boycott added that England’s gamble to play Bairstow “hasn’t worked”.
“It is very sad and outwardly he may show he is upbeat and full of exuberance, but when you fail on the big stage in the full glare of publicity there is nowhere to hide and deep down it affects your confidence,” he wrote.
“Someone needs to be brave for him and take him out of the limelight.”
‘See ya Jonny!’ – Aussies get revenge | 00:35
‘IF HE FAILS, HE’S GONE’
Australia has its own selection dilemma on its hands with David Warner’s performance at Headingley a haunting reminder of the horrors from his 2019 campaign.
That year, Warner averaged less than 10 and was regularly tormented by Stuart Broad.
In Leeds, Broad dismissed Warner for single digits twice, reigniting the debate around the veteran’s position as Test opener once more.
Meanwhile, the shock resurgence of Mitchell Marsh and the expected return of Cameron Green to full fitness has opened up the possibility of a big shake-up.
Opinion is now divided over whether Warner will be given another chance this series.
Nasser Hussain told the Daily Mail that Australia “might need his experience now” having lost at Headingley, while Ian Healy said on SEN radio that Warner should keep his spot.
“I don’t want to throw a newbie, whether it be Marcus (Harris) or ‘Renners’ (Matthew Renshaw), into that team in that Ashes furnace,” he said. “David Warner is in with the team that has got to get this Ashes done.”
Damien Fleming added that he believes Warner has a “two-Test buffer”, meaning he has at least one more chance having batted well at Lord’s.
“He can fail in one Test, but if he fails in two he’s gone,” he said.
“He’s been pretty good up until Headingley. His batting at Lord’s was actually sensational. He and Usman on that first morning, we could have been four or five down at the first session.
Former England player David Lloyd was of a different opinion, however.
“I’d expect Warner to drop out now,” he told the Daily Mail. “Which would mean Marcus Harris coming in — a good player, but England won’t be worried.”
Kumar Sangakkara initially said Australia would stick with Warner, but later changed his tune.
“I think Warner might not get another opportunity, but they will discuss that,” he told Sky Sports.
England claim 3rd test,keep series alive | 05:04
ENGLAND SET TO TABLE UNPRECEDENTED OFFER
Meanwhile, England has reportedly taken the unprecedented measure of offering star batter Harry Brook a multi-year central contract.
The Daily Mail reports that the ECB is looking to lock down the 24-year-old to stave off offers to play T20 franchise cricket all year around.
It would be the first ever multi-year central contract offered to an English cricketer.
The publication reporters that Brook’s basic England salary could rise to more than £1 million (A$1.93m) a year, not including bonuses.
He’d still be allowed to play in the IPL, but under any new deal, his ability to play in other franchise tournaments would be restricted.
Stokes smashes Murphy for five sixes | 01:21
WOOD SET TO UNLEASH MORE ASHES ‘THUNDERBOLTS’
England fast bowler Mark Wood has said he is ready to hit Australia with more “thunderbolts” at Old Trafford following his impressive return to international duty at Headingley.
Wood was named player-of-the-match in Leeds after a fine all-round display where the Durham express quick returned match figures of 7-100.
He also hit a vital 40 runs off just 16 balls faced as England won the third Test by three wickets to revive their series hopes at 2-1 down with two to play.
His extra speed gave England’s attack an added dimension and shook up several Australia batsmen who had faced nothing quite like it during the tourists’ wins at Edgbaston and Lord’s.
Wood was clocked at 96.5 mph at one stage during his Headingley heroics, with the paceman saying England captain and Durham teammate Ben Stokes had given him just one instruction prior to his first spell in Test cricket since December’s tour of Pakistan.
“Ben just asked me, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready to bowl some thunderbolts?’ I said yes and that was it,” Wood told reporters.
“He was ready to unleash me. I know him well and he knows me well. Having that relationship with someone makes it easier.”
Wood, asked if he was ready for a repeat performance in Manchester next week, replied with a grin: “Absolutely. Lightning strikes twice, eh?”