England‘s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has accepted that criticism is part of the game and isn’t afraid to respond when necessary. Despite questions about his place in the XI, with players like Sam Curran on the bench, Bairstow played a crucial cameo of 31 off 18 balls against Namibia in a rain-affected game, helping England post a challenging total of 122 runs in 10 overs.
Speaking to reporters after the game, here’s what Bairstow said about the questions on his spot, as quoted by IANS:
“It’s not the first time that people have had a go at me, is it? So yeah, you take it on the chin, and you crack on. But look, at the end of the day, there’s a reason why I’ve played for so long, and there’s a reason why I’m in the team.”
“So maybe sometimes the opinions and the views that come through certain people’s eyes are incorrect and maybe need to look at themselves.”
Bairstow’s cameo, combined with Harry Brook’s explosive 47 off 20 balls, made the difference as Namibia fell short, finishing at 84/3 against the revised target of 126.
Jonny Bairstow discusses his role in the middle order for the T20 World Cup
Jonny Bairstow, typically seen at his best as an opener in T20 cricket, has faced some scrutiny for being positioned at No. 3 or No. 4. Despite this, Bairstow is confident in his ability to adapt to the team’s needs and is eager to form more impactful partnerships with Harry Brook in the future.
On this, he further stated:
“You go out there and you perform in the positions that you’re asked to do so. That partnership in the middle there, like I said, after losing two early on was an imperative partnership and something that, look, if Harry and I can bat for a period of time through the middle, there’s going to be some decent scores.”
Scotland’s defeat in their final group game against Australia allowed England to qualify for the Super 8 phase as the second team from Group B, thanks to their superior net run rate compared to Scotland.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.