Jonathan Bairstow is to replace Jos Buttler in England’s squad for the final three matches of their one-day international (ODI) series with Australia after team officials decided the Test gloveman needed time off, it was announced on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Buttler was an ever-present behind the stumps during England’s recent 3-2 Ashes Test series win over Australia.
At his best, Buttler is one of the quickest-scoring and most dynamic limited-overs batsmen in English cricket.
Photo: AFP
However, he was out for a duck in Saturday’s second ODI at Lord’s in London, having managed just four in the series opener.
World champions Australia won both of those matches to go 2-0 up with three to play in a series which continues at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Buttler’s Lancashire home ground, today.
England have a Test and white-ball series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates coming up and then travel to South Africa, the world’s top-ranked Test nation, before the end of the year.
Following Australia’s 64-run win at Lord’s on Saturday, England coach Trevor Bayliss and one-day captain Eoin Morgan and agreed with Buttler that a break from international duty would be in the keeper’s best long-term interests.
“While we initially felt Jos would have enough left in the tank for this ODI series, it has become clear in the last couple of days that he will benefit from a break from cricket ahead of the winter tours,” Bayliss said.
“We know that for players involved in all formats, finding periods throughout the year when they can rest is key and Jos has had a heavy workload throughout 2015,” he added.
“Resting players provides opportunities for others in the international arena and Jonny Bairstow now has a chance to build on the one-day form he showed at the end of the New Zealand series earlier this summer,” he said.
Bairstow’s original omission from the squad for this series was surprising given it was the Yorkshireman’s impressive 83 not out, made when called-up as a late injury replacement for Buttler, that saw England to a 3-2 one-day series win over New Zealand, the beaten World Cup finalists, in June.
He also played, purely as a batsman, in the final three Ashes Test and scored a valuable 74 in England’s series-clinching win in the fourth Test.
The 25-year-old’s inclusion means Bairstow, son of former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, is to miss the County Championship match against Middlesex at Lord’s next week — where Yorkshire could retain English cricket’s first-class title.
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