Jonny Bairstow sets eyes on wicketkeeper role at Yorkshire to maximise chances for Test return

England’s Jonny Bairstow has eyes set on a wicketkeeper-batter role at Yorkshire to boost up his chances of playing in the Ashes series, which will start from June 16

England middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow has eyes set on a wicketkeeper-batter role at Yorkshire to boost up his chances of playing in this summer's Ashes series, which will start from June 16.

A freak accident which saw him slipping on a golf course left him with a fibula broken in three places, a dislocation in his ankle and tendon damage. He missed out the rest of 2022, including the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, which his side won.

Not only England won the title, but his replacement, Alex Hales, made a triumphant return to the national side after three years, scoring 212 runs in the tournament.

In Test cricket as well, young England batter Harry Brook claimed his middle-order spot in a terrific fashion, scoring 809 runs, four centuries and three fifties in just ten innings at an average of over 80. Ben Foakes has also shown that he can be trusted as a wicketkeeper in the longer format.

The batter, who had initially played a crucial role in rebuilding of England's Test squad under new leadership of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, has watched his England side create history in both red-ball and white-ball formats from the sidelines.

That Bairstow will regain full fitness in time for Ashes cannot be taken for granted.

Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson suggested that the medical opinion was that the batter could get fitness good enough to play some cricket "by middle to May-end". The England Test summer starts from June 1 with a match against Ireland.Bairstow, who has kept wickets in 49 out of his 89 Tests, last time against India at the Oval in September 2021, has told Yorkshire that he wants to keep wickets. Darren Gough, Yorkshire's director of cricket, said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo: "I think Jonny realises there is competition for places. He had his best year ever for England but you know what it is like, someone comes into the side and it is hard to get back. He probably wants to give himself as many opportunities as he can. He is a top player, he is in a good place mentally with his game. he is worked out where he wants to be and where he wants to go."