Ashes 2023: Geoffrey Boycott Calls For 'Unfit, Unsafe And Rusty' Jonny Bairstow To Be Axed

Batting legend Geoffrey Boycott has called for the exclusion of Jonny Bairstow from England’s playing XI ahead of the fourth Ashes 2023 Test match. Boycott lashed out at the wicketkeeper-batter and said that he is unsafe, unfit, and rusty.

The 33-year-old Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batter Bairstow has been at the receiving end of criticism following his poor glovework behind the stumps in the ongoing Ashes 2023. Also, Jonny Bairstow has not been very good with the bat either as he has registered scores of 12, 5, 16, 10, 78, and 20.

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Following, Bairstow’s poor wicket-keeping, many have called for the inclusion of Ben Foakes in the playing XI. Notably, Foakes is regarded as one of the best wicket-keepers in the world at the moment. However, England have given the nod to Bairstow ahead of Foakes due to the former’s batting skills.

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In his column for The Telegraph, the 82-year-old stated that the team management committed a mistake by including Bairstow straight into the playing XI for the Ashes 2023 following his return from injury.

“All this stuff about picking your best keeper is rubbish but at the moment Jonny is not safe with his keeping and is rusty. That is the problem. I forecast that.

“I wouldn’t have picked him until the third Test and made him play for Yorkshire to get some competitive cricket under his belt. You can’t sustain a serious injury like that and think you can come back straightaway against a team as good as Australia,” he stated.

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“When Jonny is at his best, he is a better plus for England than Ben Foakes. But at the moment, he is dropping things and not moving properly. When he is picked ahead of Foakes, his keeping has to be safe and he has to score runs. He is not doing either.”

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My common sense tells me that Jonny Bairstow is not fit – Geoffrey Boycott

Boycott opined that Jonny Bairstow is still not fully fit to compete at the highest level.

“Some people may say never change a winning team. I disagree. My experience of playing at the highest level for so long and my common sense tells me that Jonny Bairstow is not fit.

“Last year, he suffered a horrific injury with a broken leg in two places and damaged ligaments. He isn’t moving 100 percent right and is short of competitive batting and wicketkeeping,” he asserted.

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Geoffrey Boycott further said that England took the gamble by including Jonny Bairstow in the playing XI based on his heroics last summer. However, according to the batting great, the gamble hasn’t worked this time around.

“He has been selected based on last summer’s marvelous match-winning batting, but at this moment in time, he is a shadow of his best. England took a calculated gamble and it hasn’t worked.

“In three Tests, he has dropped catches, missed a stumping, and can’t score any runs. Someone needs to be brave for him and take him out of the limelight.”

The fourth Test between Ben Stokes-led England and Pat Cummins-led Australia will be played from July 19 to 23. The match is set to be held at Old Trafford, Manchester.

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