Bairstow eager to reclaim spot as England’s Test wicketkeeper
a freshness coming back in. (But) I am very much looking forward to being available for selection. I’m not ruling anything out. I want to keep my options very much open. I’m someone who has always been positive about playing.
“Over a period of time, I’ve been really happy with my keeping. That was the bit at the start of my career that people questioned but people have stopped speaking about it over the last couple of years.
“I’ve looked at the stats and my stats are very good. So there’s no reason why that isn’t an area I want to be coming back into. There have always been challenges that have been asked, whether that’s been keeping wicket or batting in certain position and circumstances. I’d like to think I’ve risen to those challenges.” As well as going through some wicketkeeping drills on his return to training at Headingley, Bairstow has faced a bowling machine indoors and received some throwdowns outside, while Yorkshire team-mates Adil Rashid and David Willey have given him some white-ball batting practice. Bairstow’s sessions are set to intensify at Chester-le-Street
when he’ll face Durham pair Ben Stokes and Mark Wood in the nets.
The trio are expected to be named in an extended group of players that will go into a camp at the Ageas Bowl ahead of the first Test against the Windies, which is scheduled to get under way on July 8 behind closed doors.
Bairstow insists the absence of a crowd will not hand the tourists a psychological edge, as he said: “It is a level playing field. Internal motivators will get you through. The will and want to run in when it is windy and is a bit chilly and not so nice. There are certain places that we’ve played around the world in Test cricket that haven’t necessarily had a massive crowd as well. I don’t think it’ll be too dissimilar to some of those.”