"I knew I needed an ambulance" - Jonny Bairstow looks back on his freak injury
England keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow opened up on his recent freak injury to his left leg and mentioned that the pain was at its highest after it snapped. Bairstow, who has undergone surgery, revealed that the events happened pretty quickly.
The Yorkshire batter sustained an ankle dislocation after slipping while playing golf in Leeds before the third Test against South Africa at The Oval and on the day England announced their T20 World Cup squad.
As a result, the 33-year-old will be sidelined for the remainder of 2022.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Bairstow recalled screaming terribly and calling the England team's physio. The veteran cricketer said:
"I yelped. Uncontrollable screams, the sort you hear on a rugby field. The adrenaline kicked in, and I knew I needed an ambulance. We rang the head physio at England straight away and asked where I needed to go and what I needed to do. The next three hours without painkillers were not too fun."
The right-handed batter took to his official Instagram handle to claim that he remains excited by what next year holds. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) player, who will also miss England's historic Test series in Pakistan, shared a picture of his swollen and bruised limb.
"My left ankle turned right, dislocated and my weight went through my left lower leg" - Jonny Bairstow
The explosive keeper-batter recalled how he dislocated his ankle, considering he did not land on his back after slipping. He added:
"I took a couple of steps down then slipped. By the time I crumpled into a heap, I was three-quarters of the way down. It’s all a blur, it happened so quickly. Normally when you slip you fall on your bum, which would have been fine as there’s plenty of cushion in there. Except this time, I tried to regain my balance, my left ankle turned right, dislocated and my weight went through my left lower leg. I heard it snap straight away."
It's worth noting that Bairstow was in the middle of a purple patch before sustaining the injury. He had scored four Test centuries in the home summer, two each against New Zealand and India. The twin tons against India at Edgbaston helped England chase down a mammoth 378 and level the five-match series.
Opener Alex Hales replaced him in the T20 World Cup squad, while Ben Duckett was recalled for the Oval Test against the Proteas.