England chief selector Luke Wright said he is sure Jonny Bairstow will “fight his way back” after omitting the batter from the squads for the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia.
Bairstow, along with fellow veterans Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan, will miss out on England’s first white-ball outing since their T20 World Cup campaign, with five uncapped players selected for the September series.
But Wright says it’s “not the end” for the 34-year-old, who has struggled for form since he returned from breaking his leg in 2022.
“One of Jonny’s great strengths is how much he wants to play,” said Wright. “He’s hugely disappointed.
“We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world. He had that horrific injury, and that’s been the message. Can we get you back to where you were pre-injury?
“He understands that. He doesn’t like it. One thing Jonny will do is fight back, and I hope he does and gets himself back in the team.”
Nor is he ruling out returns for Moeen Ali, 37, or 35-year-old Chris Jordan – both regulars in the England limited-overs set-up in the last decade.
“I certainly won’t be saying that’s the end of them. Chris Jordan was left out last winter and then still ended up going to the World Cup.
“They’ll all fine cricketers. But right now, we just want to give some others opportunities.”
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