Jonny Bairstow pulls out of The Hundred citing 'hectic' schedule

England batter Jonny Bairstow has pulled out of the Hundred citing the hectic schedule and also to get some rest before the Test series against South Africa later in the month. The Hundred is set to commence on August 3, Wednesday, and will conclude on September 3. The English batter said that he is “disappointed” to be not part of the competition this year.

Bairstow played for Welsh Fire (Men) in the previous edition of the Hundred. He said that he “loved” the competition, and added that he would cheer for the team from the outskirts. Meanwhile, Welsh Fire said that they understand the decision of the 32-year-old. He had initially announced his withdrawal from only the initial stages to manage the workload and was also set to play the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday.

“I am really disappointed. I won’t be part of the Hundred this year,” Bairstow was quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. “I loved it last year. I have had a hectic few months with the schedule as it is. And I really need to take a breather before the South Africa Test series. All the best to the Welsh Fire Men and Women. I will be cheering you on,” he added. 

Can’t wait to get our Hundred campaign underway: Welsh Fire

“We understand Jonny’s decision and we wish him all the best. We can’t wait to get our Hundred campaign underway tomorrow night, and then look forward to getting back in front of our own fans at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Sunday,” said Welsh Fire.

England’s three-match Test series against South Africa will begin on August 17. Bairstow, in red-ball cricket, has been on a great run of form under the reign of new captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. In 2022, he has scored 994 runs in eight Tests at an average of 76.46 and a strike rate of 76.22 with one fifty and six hundreds. He is currently one of the best batters in Test cricket and is also in the top 10 of the ICC Test Batting rankings.