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[jdj31]

Hi everybody,

I'm usually in favour of most (increasingly less and less) of the England selectors decisions, but I'm afraid that in the case of Jonny Bairstow, I just cannot see where they are coming from. His statistics, albeit respectable in first class cricket, are poor in one day, T20, and most importantly Test cricket, and its not that he hasn't had chances. Also, its not that he's been unlucky, in being on the end of unplayable deliveries or poor umpiring decisions - he can have no excuses there. His technique has major holes in it - you could drive a lorry through his bat-pad gap - and I really don't know what they see in him. Am I missing something, or are there no better options? (if this is the case, it is a truly sad day for English cricket)

Thoughts please

[joeljonno]

I think he has been unlucky insomuch that he has not had a spot to call his own.  He has been on the Fringe for a couple of years when he would have been much better suited to continued learning his trade at county level.

He has shown that he is a good player and has given a few indications at England level.l and played some good innings.

I think he still has a potential future at the top, but could do with a year or two back at Yorkshire.

His technique is not that bad, there are a couple of issues he needs to work on,but it is not "horrendous".

[WalkingWicket37]

Bit much to say he's got a horrendous technique, a couple of issues that can be ironed out in time.
And he made 95 against the best bowling attack in the world, he must be hopeless!

[jdj31]

I wouldn't take my criticism of his technique as unduly harsh - by comparison, I think several members of the England team need to work on their technique, not just him (Joe Root and his front foot, Stuart Broad and foot movement of any variety etc.) I would have no problem with him continuing in the team if he were to tighten up his technique, as I think with a tighter technique he could be more successful. What frustrates me is that with the bat-pad issue, its an issue which has come up several times, and that has not been rectified, despite it being so fundamental at Test level. If he were to work on it and sort it out, as he did with his short ball issues, there's no reasons why he couldn't go from strength to strength.

Also, to prove I'm not just anti-Bairstow in every regard, I have no issues with his wicket-keeping.

I'd also like to clear up something - I did not call his technique 'horrendous', and am merely exaggerating the bat-pad issue, and, as with his short ball issues, it can be fixed.

[jdj31]

Also, I agree with joeljonno in that he needs a good full county season to build up form and runs. It hasn't been doing him any good following the team round and carrying the drinks.

Has the boat sailed on Steven Davies?

[joeylough]

Also, I agree with joeljonno in that he needs a good full county season to build up form and runs. It hasn't been doing him any good following the team round and carrying the drinks.

Has the boat sailed on Steven Davies?

Seemed to do ok in the last test, when I say ok, I mean better than prior, took a few catches and well didnt bad as bad as some.

[trypewriter]

I think it was a huge gamble playing Prior after virtually no prep due to injury - fail to prepare and all that...

[Manormanic]

At the point where he "arrived" in Test cricket against South Africa, he was a top pick - had made runs consistently in the first class game, and had made important runs at that - he was always the guy who'd be 70* in a run chase or who would make 60 on a dodgy deck coming in at four for zip.  He displayed decent technique, albeit bottom hand heavy at times, and real gumption.

Since then he was 12th man for every ODI, went to India, didn't play for three months then got thrown in to a single game, was in and out of the side in NZ and messed around at the start of our Summer.   He then got dropped (having done okay in my opinion) and recalled for the last game after six innings in five months....word is that he has become a lot more intense and lost some of his natural joie de vivre, and you can see why.   

[jdj31]

I agree with Manormanic, in that no matter what you think of how good he is, the time he has spent carrying the drinks for England and not playing for Yorkshire has harmed his progress. I doubt that many players would want to become involved in the England setup as it currently is, given how it seems to take creditable players from the county game, take them around the world to carry the drinks, and then throwing them into a game after next to no match practice - this has been the case for Bairstow, and arguably James Taylor, James Tredwell, to a lesser extent Ravi Bopara, Steven Davies etc., and (hopefully not) what is now destined to happen for Gary Ballance, Scott Borthwick etc.

[Jimmyg]

That is the fundamental problem with central contacts for those players just outside the first eleven. Bairstow has spent the best part of 2 years mainly carrying water bottles, instead of playing cricket. His batting has gone backwards meanwhile. Young players especially would be better served playing county cricket if they aren't in with a shout of being in England's starting eleven.

[Manormanic]

Its a real bugbear of many Yorkshire fans, I can tell you that much - there always seems to be  Northern kid taken to carry the post boys' water bottles - it happened to Chris SIlverwood for years, then to Adil Rashid and now Jonny.  FActor in the way the England set up ruined Richard DAwson and DAvid WAinwright as well and its a miracle there is any cooperation left!

[cricketbadger]

Can't really see any benefits of carrying the drinks for the majority of tours and games. These players, especially the youngsters need to be playing as much cricket as possible. No amount of work with the England coaching setup will benefit ten as much as playing on the county circuit on a regular basis. Bairstow looks to have suffered due to this, this also has negative effects on their counties (Yorkshire). I hope they don't do the same to Ballance either, they need to keep playing regularly and we (Yorkshire) need him. Same for Borthwick, why change them after having lots of success previously.

Then when they are chucked in at the deep end like Bairstow was and it's looking like Borthwick will be too, they are shown to be not quite ready and clearly lacking any type of form and confidence. Net batting doesn't compare to in a match. Don't waste their time carrying bloody drinks, they should be playing

[finbarr44]

Shouldn't a lot of these highly paid coaches be able to realise the facts that have been pointed out about young Bairstow and to a lesser extent young players that England have ruined by making them professional "Twelth Men" Most of the posts agree that young Bairstow has a couple of technical areas that he needs to address with his batting. What has Gooch done about these technical issues not a lot by the look of things. Batting has been absolutely woeful throughout the series total lack of runs. These lads aren't facing pigeon warney n murali are they no international side should have lost 5 wickets for 6 runs on that pitch. As I have said before looks to me all the "Batting Coaches" have been doing in Oz have been collecting a big fat pay cheque for nothing in return. Flower supposed to be an extremely deep thinker then why take all these big tall quicks to Oz, where we have lost 4 Tests badly and we still haven't seen 2 of these big quicks with the ball in the hand yet.

[procricket]

At the point where he "arrived" in Test cricket against South Africa, he was a top pick - had made runs consistently in the first class game, and had made important runs at that - he was always the guy who'd be 70* in a run chase or who would make 60 on a dodgy deck coming in at four for zip.  He displayed decent technique, albeit bottom hand heavy at times, and real gumption.

Since then he was 12th man for every ODI, went to India, didn't play for three months then got thrown in to a single game, was in and out of the side in NZ and messed around at the start of our Summer.   He then got dropped (having done okay in my opinion) and recalled for the last game after six innings in five months....word is that he has become a lot more intense and lost some of his natural joie de vivre, and you can see why.   

Yorkshire people and there excuses.


In truth he deserves another chance or two