"All I want to do is play for England" - Jonny Bairstow keen to win his place back in Test side

Veteran England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow remains firm on winning his place back in the Test side after facing an ax for the summer's first series. He stated that all he wants to do is play for England.

Bairstow has struggled across formats since returning from a freak injury he suffered during the summer of 2022 amid his purple patch in Tests. With the right-handed batter performing poorly with the bat in the five-match Test series in India earlier this year, headlined by no 50-plus score, the selectors decided to drop him.

Speaking to Michael Vaughan for BBC Two, Bairstow responded when asked how keen he is to play at the highest level again.

"All I want to do is play for England. That's end of. You don't need to ask me that do you? I think you know me well enough and I think you've known me for long enough to know that," he said.

The 34-year-old didn't have an impressive T20 World Cup 2024 either, registering 110 runs in eight matches at an average of 27.50 alongside a strike rate of 134.15. However, England are likely to open with him in ODIs in the series against Australia and Champions Trophy 2025.

"I had the best part of seven months away from home" - Jonny Bairstow

With Bairstow continuously on the road since January, he feels refreshed after spending time with family and is now raring to get to the field.

"At the same time it's been a great period of time. I had the best part of seven months away from home. Since January, I had five nights at home in my own bed since, until three weeks ago. That's the thing you have to sacrifice, time at home but at the same time, when you are away for that period of time, it takes its toll," he stated in the same interaction.

Bairstow is likely to be named in both T20I and ODI squads to face Australia in September.