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[shadowlight]

Question for the more knowledgeable folks here.

Is Baristow so insecure about his position that he is willing to potentially risk being out of the team for a long time by insisting on keeping?   Source: Baristow's interview on Cricinfo

I would have thought that his name would be the second name on the team sheet after Root.

[Manormanic]

It probably comes third behind Anderson but yes.  Thing is, he spent a LOT of time being treated as a glorified drinks waiter by Team England, you can see why he wants the reassurance.

[shadowlight]

It probably comes third behind Anderson but yes.  Thing is, he spent a LOT of time being treated as a glorified drinks waiter by Team England, you can see why he wants the reassurance.

I fully understand the reassurance part and the team management needs to deliver that by saying that as long as he continues to add value to the team cause he has a place.  I feel that he is potentially risking his career by insisting on keeping unless he does not trust himself just on batting alone and if that is the case he should be batting at 7 and not any higher.

[FattusCattus]

Surely the decision is down to Coach and the Captain isn't it? For the good of the team as a whole, and not the individual.

[ppccopener]

yes judging by his comments today he wont be giving up the gloves without an almighty fight.

I think the insecurity about his place is more to do with one dayers,not test. he's a bolt on cert for the test team.

clearly he wants to keep and bat, I think England have other ideas thou. you could say he is wanted a specialist batsman because of the lack of quality around him...and the amount of players who have tried and failed.

I did read he is  wanted to open on the winter tours by England and will receive assurances about his place.

Bairstow seems to have his own ideas thou and was not afraid to speak out when he got left out of the one day team.

[six and out]

The Bairstow thing is simple math really.... If he keeps as well he has 2 irons in the fire, not 1. No matter how good you are, what number on the team sheet, you always what the biggest chance to play for your country. Keeping gives Bairstow 2 chances simples.

I also think that Bairstow believes he bats better when he keeps for whatever reason he thinks.

[ppccopener]

Yes but you can see both sides really. He has improved and done a huge amount of work on his keeping but the team might need him to have a different role. Tricky one, team comes first I'm afraid, if we were top of the world table it might be different, but if we lose to India,which I think we will next match, we go behind Sri Lanka...I think.

The thing I think as well, is if a new player comes in,let's say Pope or Joe Clarke, is it right to drop them down a bit and senior players take up the more difficult roles?

If you look at Pope, there's no way in a million teas he should be asked to bat 4 when he is 20 and bats 6 for his County.

If bairstow does open, it makes a space in the middle order.....

[Mister Le Chiffre]

I think Buttler is a more natural wicket keeper than Bairstow. Bairstow is a manufactured keeper and is decent against seam bowling but I doubt he'll offer much on the raging turners in Sri Lanka where Buttler having extra experience in India should make his keeping more valuable

[northernboy1987]

I was a staunch supporter of Bairstow keeping the gloves in the past but I think it's time for him to hand them over to Buttler. If you look at the stats Bairstow averages over 55 in the 1st dig if England bat first (i.e he hasn't kept wicket yet) and around 30 in innings after he has kept. Stats speak for themselves at this point I think. England need that 55 average desperately in the top 5.

[Buzz]

The fact with Johnny is that he has never scored runs after keeping.
He is also one of the top batsmen in the country and averaged over 100 for Yorkshire when not keeping.
Even Sanga averaged 20 less when keeping.
This is the best thing for Bairstow. He is also a brilliant outfielder.

[Manormanic]

I tend to agree - you also have to ask how much better that 55 might be had he not had to slog with the tail so often.

[Buzz]

Team has been announced, Pope dropped for Moeen and Sam in for the injured Woakes.

Cook
Jennings
Roooooooooot
Bairstow
Moeen
Stokes
Buttler
Curran
Rashid
Broad
Anderson.

Apparently Moeen is playing because stokes isn't 100%

[rickjames]

Apparently Moeen is batting at #7, which is quite frankly, stupid

[alexhilly1492]

Harsh on pope?

[edge]

The fact with Johnny is that he has never scored runs after keeping.
He is also one of the top batsmen in the country and averaged over 100 for Yorkshire when not keeping.
Even Sanga averaged 20 less when keeping.
This is the best thing for Bairstow. He is also a brilliant outfielder.

Completely agree, ridiculous to expect him to score top order runs when keeping when Sanga, Ab, Stewart couldn't manage it!
Although I will say I spent two ODIs last summer sitting behind Bairstow's fielding position... brilliant is highly generous.

Once Stokes was at risk of not bowling then Pope was always going to miss out, probably a good thing that he's been swapped for an all-rounder rather than dropped, pressure whenever heay come back in future will hopefully be less!