"I love being part of all three squads" - Jonny Bairstow committed to playing all forms of cricket amid ODIs' struggle for survival
England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has come out in support of the one-day international format following Ben Stokes' retirement from the same. The right-handed batter declared his commitment to all three formats of the game and praised 50-over cricket.
England's Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket this week, citing an unsustainable schedule. Stokes, an integral part of England's 2019 World Cup squad, played his last 50-over game for England against South Africa at Chester-Le-Street on July 19.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Bairstow admitted the challenges of playing different formats continuously observing how England played Test and ODI cricket this summer simultaneously. Nevertheless, the keeper-batter said he is keen to play in all the forms, stating:
"Naturally there are challenges, we've seen that over a period of time now. We only have to look at the Tests this summer where there was a one-day squad over in Holland at the same time. Even at the back-end of this summer, there are the seven T20s in Pakistan that pretty much overlap with the last Test match."
He added:
"I will be going all out for as long as I can. In the near future, I don't see myself making a choice. I love being part of all three squads."
Stokes' retirement from ODI cricket has served as a wake-up call for the cricketing fraternity, with former players questioning the schedule. The likes of Wasim Akram and Usman Khawaja have also doubted the sustainability of the 50-over format.
"I also think that 50-over cricket is in some ways a stepping stone into Test cricket" - Jonny Bairstow
The 32-year-old opined that ODI is a wonderful format and recalled England's victorious 2019 World Cup journey. He also thinks the 50-over game serves as a foundation for Test cricket, comparing its middle-overs to the red-ball format.
"I think it is a really good format. The journey we have been on as a group to get to the 2019 World Cup was amazing. I also think that 50-over cricket is in some ways a stepping stone into Test cricket. You get worked over for longer, you sometimes have to grind out difficult periods and play good cricket shots. The middle overs, especially, are a lot like Test cricket."
Today, Jonny Bairstow became the first Englishman to score two World Cup hundreds as an opening batsman 💯 💯 👏 👏
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Meanwhile, the Yorkshire batter has been in excellent form this summer, mainly in Test cricket. So far, Bairstow has scored 614 runs in four Tests this home summer against New Zealand and India.