Jonny Bairstow Throws Tantrum On Landing In India, Expresses Frustration At 38-Hour Exhausting Flight For ICC World Cup 2023

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow expressed his frustration at the exhausting 38-hour journey to India for the ICC World Cup 2023. The England team arrived in Guwahati on Friday, September 29 for their first warm-up match against the home team, India.

The Jos Buttler-led team commenced their journey to Guwahati on Wednesday but reached their destination on Friday morning. This extensive travel for the World Cup, which will span 10 venues, presents international teams with various challenges and strains.

Utter Chaos – Jonny Bairstow

On Friday, Jonny Bairstow took to his Instagram handle to share a picture of his teammates, referring to the trip as ‘utter chaos.’

“Utter chaos. Last leg incoming… been some trip,” followed by a laughing face emoji.

Jonny Bairstow’s Instagram story.

England team reached Guwahati in an economy class of a flight. pic.twitter.com/r3Uf3Klchz

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 29, 2023

England will enter the tournament as a strong contender to defend their title. They have a chance to become the third team, after the West Indies and Australia, to win back-to-back World Cups. However, their trip was marred by significantly extended travel time.

Don’t Know How Guys Will Pull Up – Matthew Mott

Speaking ahead of the tournament, England coach Matthew Mott suggested that they could use more than 13 players in the squad due to varying player performances in different venues and travel conditions.

“We’re close but it’s still a while away. And we don’t know how guys will pull up, [it is] a quick turnaround when we land in India. We’ve got a rough idea, then it’s about opposition, whether we go batter-heavy, bowler-heavy. The squad we have picked gives us great flexibility,” Mott said.

“I do [expect to use more than 13], because of the venues, the travel, certain players thrive, others don’t go so well. That’s why when you pick the squad, you do a lot of ‘what if?’ scenarios.”

England will endure extensive travel during the tournament, with matches scheduled in various cities, including Dharamsala, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Kolkata. They will play two matches out of nine games in Ahmedabad.

Also read: Joe Root Backs Jonny Bairstow To Be Leading Run-Getter In ICC World Cup 2023