Former England captain Michael Atherton believes selecting Jonny Bairstow over Ben Foakes is the correct name taken by the Test group think-tank for the one-off Test towards Ireland and presumably, for the highly-anticipated Ashes.
Bairstow has been out of cricketing motion for England since September final yr after breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle in a freak incident at a golf course. In his absence, Foakes impressed as a wicketkeeper-batter in England`s away Test sequence in Pakistan and New Zealand. (Jofra Archer Ruled Out Of Ashes 2023 Due To Elbow Injury)
With younger batter Harry Brook scoring 809 runs in 10 Test innings, together with 4 centuries at a median of 80.9 and making himself undroppable, England`s selectors selected Bairstow, who scored 4 centuries in 5 Test innings final yr towards New Zealand and India, over Foakes.
“I think it is the right call and I think that is the minority view from testing the water on social media. The problem for wicketkeepers is only one person can do the job and Foakes, of course, is an outstanding wicketkeeper and he has done pretty well for England.”
“But Jonny Bairstow, the way that he played last summer, Brendon McCullum had said that once he is fit he is going to get back into the team. He has proven himself to be an outstanding wicketkeeper-batter in the years he did it. He did it in 49 Test matches for England but hasn`t done it really since 2019,” Atherton was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
Bairstow lately returned to aggressive cricket by scoring 97 runs off 88 balls for Yorkshire`s second XI, earlier than enjoying two county championship matches for his membership towards Durham and Glamorgan.
“That is the issue really, it is a fitness issue. He had a very bad break of his leg when he fell on the golf course and wicketkeeping is a physically arduous thing over five days. So you have to take it on trust that he is fully fit to do the job.”
“He has come again for Yorkshire and carried out a little bit of conserving however not that a lot and the medical employees clearly know greater than I do. Once he’s match, I believe it’s proper he’s again within the group and that’s the solely option to get him again within the group.
“You can`t move Harry Brook from No 5 given how Brook had played over the winter months so, as tough as it is on Ben Foakes, I think it is the right call,” added Atherton.
Atherton believes Foakes can stay longing for an England Test call-up if there`s an damage situation inside the aspect both towards Ireland or in The Ashes. “The silver lining for Ben Foakes is that he is very much there should anything happen.”
“If Bairstow gets injured then Foakes comes in clearly and England`s next tour after the Ashes is to the sub-continent and they might go for a different balance of the team there with two or three spinners maybe in the team.”
“They might think Ben Foakes is the man to take that role then. “It is just not the final of Ben Foakes I’m positive and he has proved himself to be a top-class keeper when he has performed.”
