Reports: England to continue with Jonny Bairstow in ongoing Ashes 2023 despite dip in form

Stumper-batter Jonny Bairstow is yet to come to the party in the ongoing Ashes 2023. In the first Test at Edgbaston, the cricketer looked in good shape with the bat but since then, the 33-year-old has failed to live up to his potential. Not just with the bat, his keeping has been very poor, to say the least, and thus, there were talks of bringing Ben Foakes back into the squad as he is one of the best in the business at the moment.

However, as per reports, England will be continuing with Bairstow in the remainder of the five-match series. Veteran pacer James Anderson too confirmed the same as he mentioned about Bairstow's sheer ability to cause havoc with the bat. Thus, he is ready to back the Yorkshire-born cricketer and expects him to make a strong comeback.

“We will help him as much as we can to keep his spirits up because we know what a devastating player he can be. Most players need that support. Every now and then you need an arm around you and a chat.

“It is important to talk to everyone to make sure they are alright and in the right place. Jonny is no different. He has been through so many things in his life that people think he can just deal with it. But we know as players it is our job to make sure we are there for him and support him any way we can, similarly with anyone who is not on top of their game,” Anderson wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Bairstow looks distracted to me: Justin Langer

After Geoffrey Boycott, Justin Langer too feels that Bairstow is not at his best in the ongoing Ashes. The former Australia international stated that he looks distracted and added saying that he needs a method to clear his head.

“He looks distracted to me. He is such a vital part of this England team, but with his wicketkeeping and the events of last week attracting so much attention, he needs to find a method of clearing his mind,” Langer told Telegraph.