Bairstow rues Pietersen exit

Posted by: in Sports April 21, 2014 307 Views

Jonny Bairstow: Enjoyed playing alongside Kevin Pietersen

Jonny Bairstow has admitted his regret that he will no longer have the chance to play alongside Kevin Pietersen for England.

Pietersen was axed from the England side for all formats of the game following the Ashes mauling in the winter, with the England and Wales Cricket Board claiming he could not be trusted to give his full support to captain Alastair Cook.

ECB managing director Paul Downton declared Pietersen has no chance of being recalled to international duty while insisting the batsman had become “disengaged” while in Australia.

Bairstow is sad to see Pietersen’s England career end in such acrimonious circumstances, but he believes the team can bounce back from their arduous winter under newly-appointed head coach Peter Moores.

“He Pietersen is a fantastic player,” Bairstow told BBC Radio 5 live.

“He is one of the best there has ever been; it was a great pleasure to play with him. He could change a game on his own, so it’s disappointing that I won’t get to play with him again.

“He is one of the best there has ever been; it was a great pleasure to play with him. He could change a game on his own, so it’s disappointing that I won’t get to play with him again.”
Jonny Bairstow

Move forward

“However, that is the decision the ECB have made and we move forward and I’m sure the team will go from strength to strength.”

Bairstow was preferred to Matt Prior for the final two Ashes Tests, but he struggled with the bat as he managed only 49 runs in four innings.

The Yorkshire wicketkeeper admitted the squad endured a “really, really tough trip” and “not a pleasant experience”, but he has backed Moores to revive the fortunes of the national side.

“There will be a period of change,” added Bairstow, who is currently sidelined with a broken finger.

“There will be a transition period of players coming in and out but it’s an exciting time for English cricket.

“That is a fresh challenge and you want to try and impress and go from there.”